Abstract
Effective supplier selection plays a pivotal role in the success of any procurement activity in an organisation. It forms the foundation for the overall quality of the project which translate to improved profit, market share and customer retention. However, market turbulence in Zimbabwe disrupts supplier commitments which tend to undermine the operational performance of hospitality firms. Thus, the study’s aim was to examine the influence of supplier selection on the operational performance of the firms in the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe. Data were gathered using questionnaires and semi structured interviews. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic data analysis approach. Quantitative data were collected by questionnaires and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The study established that hotels under study used single sourcing, dual sourcing, parallel sourcing, multiple sourcing and local sourcing. Local sourcing was preferred owing to logistical simplicity, avoidance of import costs, and supporting local vendors. The study found a significant relationship between sourcing practices and operational performance of the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe. Competitive bidding had positive impact on performance, and strategic supplier partnerships had also a strong influence in operational performance. The study recommends strategic partnerships, and development of local suppliers to enhance operational performance.
Data availability
The data that support study findings are available from the corresponding author on request. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
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All authors made active participation in the development of the paper until approval of the final article for publication. 1st author was responsible for study conception, data collection, writing for the original draft and crafting the methodology, and formal analysis. 2nd author was responsible for data validation, visualisation, editing of the final version of the manuscript and submission.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Ethical approval was obtained locally from the Ethics Committee of Chinhoyi University of Technology (Zimbabwe), the institution where the research was conducted. The study protocol was reviewed and approved prior to the commencement of the research on 05 July 2024 (CUT07/2024).
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This study was a non-interventional investigation examining the influence of supplier selection on the operational performance of hospitality firms in Zimbabwe. Written informed consent was obtained by the researchers from all participants prior to data collection (between 08 July 2024 and 26 August 2024). Participants were fully informed about the purpose of the study, the voluntary nature of participation, the use of data for academic research and publication, and the assurance of anonymity and confidentiality. No personally identifiable information was collected, and there were no foreseeable risks associated with participation.
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Nyemba, M.P., Chikwere, D. The influence of supplier selection on the operational performance of the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06518-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06518-3
