EGBUCHE Victoria Uzochukwu
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
OGONU Chituru Gibson
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
gibson.ogonu@ust.edu.ng
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between electronic tendering (e-tendering) and operational efficiency of soft drink distribution companies in Port Harcourt. The objective of the study was to determine the extent to which improvements operational efficiency in terms of customer service, supplier quality and cost control of soft drink distribution companies in Port Harcourt can be ascribed to the practice of e-tendering. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consisted 37 registered and functional soft drink distribution companies; and the entire population was surveyed. Primary was collected using questionnaire designed in 5-point Liker scale, and whose reliability was ascertained using the Cronbach’s Alpha test. The Spearman’s Rank Correlation served as test statistic, relying on SPSS version 24.0. The study found moderate positive relationship with customer service, weak positive relationship with supplier quality and very strong positive relationship with cost control. The study also found that the relationship between e-tendering and all the metrics of operational efficiency are statistically significant. Thus, the study concluded that e-tendering has positive significant relationship with operational efficiency of soft drink distribution companies in Port Harcourt. The study recommends that soft drink distribution companies in Port Harcourt that seek to boost their efficiency (customer service, supplier quality and cost control) adopt the practice of e-tendering to promote transparency and credibility in approval of qualified bid.
Keywords: Cost control, customer service, e-tendering, operational efficiency, supplier quality.