Vendor diversity in public sector purchasing: the case of the florida department of health

Abstract

This article explores the use of a quality management model by a public sector agency to implement a socially responsible purchasing initiative related to minority diversity of the vendor pool. There is a description and discussion of the use of a quality management model for planning and implementing the initiative with a focus on changing organizational culture and reinforcing organizational policy priorities. The initial success of the initiative in increasing total contracted dollars to minorities suggests that a quality management implementation model is a useful approach for initiating a socially responsible policy within an organization.