Representative bureaucracy and local government contracting: Examining supplier diversity programs

Equity and efficiency are among the most difficult public values to balance in the contracting environment where institutions and service markets influence how and with whom public dollars are spent. A representative bureaucracy helps reflect the interests of underrepresented, disadvantaged social groups and instill equity in government contracting. This research examines the relationship between representation at various decision-making levels in local government agencies and supplier diversity program implementation supporting women and minority owned firms. This study employs negative binomial regression with data from a survey of local government agencies in the United States, American Community Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Harvard Dataverse. Results indicate that minority representation at the elected official and procurement head levels relates to the amount of supplier diversity efforts taking place. Findings have implications for theory and practice demonstrating the importance of a representative bureaucracy for promoting equity in environments where efficiency is key.