How 1st‐Tier Suppliers Respond to Green Public Procurement Policies: An Empirical Analysis

This article analyses how 1st-tier suppliers to public organisations respond operationally to Green Public Procurement (GPP) policies. Through a multiple case study of 12 Italian firms operating in different sectors, we develop a classification of suppliers' responses, identifying two interrelated macro-types: internal operations realignment and supply network reconfiguration. These are further delineated into more specific responses, with the most frequent being, respectively, stricter incoming quality control procedures and the expansion of the 2nd-tier supply base (often towards small, local suppliers). The cross-case comparison reveals sector-specific contingencies, particularly related to the type of GPP criteria that companies aim to fulfil (i.e., mandatory versus award criteria). We interpret our findings through the lens of Institutional Theory, resulting in a novel conceptual framework that illustrates how GPP policy design—specifically, the stringency of mandatory criteria—influences the institutional pressures to which suppliers react. Accordingly, we propose practical recommendations and future research avenues.