Abstract

This study examines the roles actors play to develop public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the context of centralized public procurement and how these roles change during the procurement process. The roles are explored by applying role theory and the typologies of managerial and intermediary roles and by utilizing a triadic approach to distinguish these roles in raw food and home nursing procurement settings. The findings of this study increase the understanding of PPPs by identifying the roles for developing PPP relationships and how these roles are played to reinforce this development in centralized public procurement. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the research on relationship dynamics by showing how actors’ roles and the performance of those change and are influenced by the public procurement context and the roles the other actors undertake during the centralized public procurement process. The study yields insights for managers of public and private organizations seeking to develop stronger PPPs and improve public procurement.