In this section of the study, the detail regarding the procedure and the techniques which are utilized for gathering that data are discussed in detail. If the research design of this study is described than it can be said that the study has quantitative & descriptiveresearch design. The quantitative research approach is used for evaluating & statistical analysis. The data collection techniques which are used for collecting the data are both primary &secondary data collection techniques. The secondary data is gathered through previous researches available on the internet. The journal articles or peer-reviewed journal articles are being used for gathering significant amount of data.

           The primary data, on the other hand, is gathered using the survey and interview approaches. The data collection tool that is used for gathering the data is questionnaire. The respondents will be asked to fill the questionnaire. In the questionnaire several questions will be asked from the respondents which will help the researchers to get information about their research. While conducting the survey the respondents are not going to be forced for filling the questionnaire because any unfair mean in collecting the data will have major impact on the research study. The respondents will have full freedom in filling the questionnaire.

        The respondents will have the freedom to stop filling the questionnaire if they don’t feel interested in answering the questions. Also, the respondents can skip the questions which they think are not appropriate. As discussed earlier the quantitative research design ha be utilized for gathering the data. The quantitative research design is elected by keeping the nature of the study in mind. Through quantitative approach the data will be gathered in abundance and the researchers will have plenty of information from which they can interpret the results of the study.

Sampling Design of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

        In order to conduct the study, the data is usually gathered by taking a sample from the overallpopulation. It is obvious that the data cannot be gathered from the whole population because it is not an easy task. A sample size of 250 respondents will be taken. In the sample 50 individuals are going to the managers of the bakeries whereas150 individuals are going t be the regular employees’ of the bakeries. The rest of 50 respondents are going to be general customers. The sample size that is taken for conducting is study is quite appropriate because it is fulfilling the requirements of the study effectively.

        It is obvious that if the sample size of the study is too small than it will unable to provide maximum information about the facts which the study is trying to evaluate. Similarly if the sample size is going to be too large than collecting data from huge amount of individual will become quite difficult and it will take a significant amount t of time & effort. In addition the cost of research will also increase up to lot of extents. The sample in this study is taken from the population of Ireland.

Sampling technique of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

        The study the sampling technique which has been utilized for performing the research is simple random sampling. The simple random sampling is actually a sampling technique which is most commonly used by the researchers. This technique has high level of generalization and the results which this technique produces are considered more authentic than some other techniques. The list of the individuals which will be taken as sample will be obtained from the bakeries. After obtaining the information regarding the individuals the numbering will be allotted to each individual.

            After that, the individuals will be selected from the tables through simple random technique. This technique of sampling is considered highly effective and takes less time than other techniques. Through this technique the data will be gathered efficiently from the individuals. In this study as discussed earlier the data is gathered from employees’ who work in the bakeries. The data is also gathered from the managers of the bakeries as well. The third type of individuals from whom data is gathered is the customers. A total of 250 questionnaires are going to be formed and then will be given to the respondents so that they can fill the questionnaires (Srivastava).

Data Collection Methods of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            There are many methods through which data can be collected from the respondents. The various data collection methods include interview, survey, observation, telephonic interview, literature review etc. Some studies only focus on secondary data collection which means that they will collect data througha literature review. However some studies collect data from both primary and secondary way. It means data will be collected by using the interview & survey methods as well. In this study both primary & secondary data collection techniques are utilized. The survey questionnaire will include different questions through which it can be known how bakeries are performing procurement (Mellinger and Hanson).

            In the questionnaire the questions are established in such a way that they can help the researchers to assess the relationship among variables. The questionnaire is established according to the Likert scale approach. In the response of the question the respondent can agree, disagree, strongly agree etc. Most of the questions in the questionnaire are kept open-ended. For conducting the interview the researchers will develop a list of questions which are going to be asked from the respondents. The interview would be semi-structured and will help the individuals to gather significant amount of data (Mellinger and Hanson).

Analysis of Data of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            When the data is going to be gathered than the data will be analyzed for knowing its reliability and validity. The data analysis phase is highly important for the study because on the basis of data analysis the results of the study are going to be interpreted. There are different data analysis tools or approaches which include standard deviation, mean, regression analysis, T-Test and SPSS. In this study, the SPSS is going to be utilized for data analysis. After data analysis the results of the study are going to be formulated.

SPSS Software of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            The SPSS software contains many features and it is quite easy to analyze the data using the SPSS software. The SPSS tool is not difficult to use and many researchers around the world use SPSS software for conducting the research. With the help of SPSS various statistical tests can be applied such as correlation, regression, ANOVA, T-test and descriptive analysis. It means that with the help of SPSS software various statistical tests can be applied easily and in less amount of time. That is why SPSS software is among the most commonly used software (Balnaves and Caputi).

Reliability of Research of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            The research results are reliable because the data is gathered from authentic sources.The literature review includes various research studies which provide information about the previous studies. It means that the data that is gathered using the secondary data collection technique is highly authentic. On the other hand the data that is gathered using survey and interview approach is also genuine because the data is gathered from real employees & customers of different bakeries of Ireland. So it can be said that the primary data has provided new information about the procurement procedure of different bakeries.

Ethical Consideration of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            The researchers will keep all sort of ethical considerations in mind while conducting the research. It is highly important to collect data from respondents in an ethical manner. All the requirements and rules of conducting a research study are going to be followed so that research can be conducted in an ethical manner. For conducting the survey the permission from various bakeries are taken and after the permission is granted by the bakeries then the survey is performed to collect the data. Before performing the survey the permission from employees, customers and managers are taken (Vogt).

            On the questionnaire the names of the respondents will not be mentioned. The questionnaire will not contain any personal information. The response of the respondents will be kept confidential and the respondents will be ensured that the information they have provided will not be shared with any other person. The data of the respondents will not be given to any other party or individual which means that the data will not be used for any commercial use. the researchers have tried their level best to collect data ethically. The researchers believe in maximum benefit of the society and not conducted in any such activities which can be considered unethical by some (Balnaves and Caputi).

Limitation of the study of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

            The study is only focusing on the bakery industry it means that other industries are not a primary focus in this study. it means that this study will provide information which would be limited to the bakery industry. However the limitation of the study won’t affect the reliability & credibility of the research. The study has vast scope and provided information in detail. However the study does not discuss various industries. The study has discussed the sustainable procurement methods but does not discuss other operations which improve the performance of the organization. Therefore the research is limited to an extent.

            The limitation of the study has to be considered to get clear about the reliability, applications and authenticity of the research study. One of the major limitation in this study is the limited time. The diversity of the research can get affected due to limited time period. Furthermore the study is limited to the geographical location of Ireland only. It means that the information from different geographical locations can be collected is not presented in this study. The future researchers, however, can utilize this study for further investigating the facts that still need to be evaluated (Balnaves and Caputi).

Summary of an evaluation of the implementation of green procurement Bakery Sector in Ireland

        The data collection techniques which are used for collecting the data are both primary & secondary data collection techniques. The secondary data is gathered through previous researches available on the internet. The journal articles or peer-reviewed journal articles are being used for gathering significant amount of data. The primary data, on the other hand, is gathered using the survey and interview approaches. The data collection tool that is used for gathering the data is questionnaire. The respondents will be asked to fill the questionnaire. In the questionnaire several questions will be asked from the respondents who will help the researchers to get information about their research.

        This study is significant for the bread manufacturers of Ireland due to the insight it provides about the use of green procurement. There are no studies about the use of green procurement in the bread manufacturing sector to the best of my knowledge, even thoughts implementation in other sectors divulges its economic and environmental benefits. Various misconceptions exist about the use of green procurement, for instance, it is expensive, and this study explores the reality of such misconceptions. The study also investigates the use of green procurement within the public sector and whether the regulatory frameworks can be applied in the private sector.

        This technique of sampling is considered highly effective and takes less time than other techniques. Through this technique the data will be gathered efficiently from the individuals. In this study as discussed earlier the data is gathered from employees’ who work in the bakeries. The data is also gathered from the managers of the bakeries as well. The third type of individuals from whom data is gathered is the customers. A total of 250 questionnaires are going to be formed and then will be given to the respondents so that they can fill the questionnaires.The foremost assumption is that most bread manufacturers in Ireland do not apply green procurement based on preliminary studies. Thus, this study seeks to explore the preeminent reasons as to why the implementation of green procurement is minimal within the sector. The study will also investigate the various enablers of green procurement.

References of Research Methodology

Balnaves, Mark and Peter Caputi. Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods: An Investigative Approach. SAGE Publications, 2001.

Blome, Constantin, Daniel Hollos and Antony Paulraj. "Green procurement and green supplier development: antecedents and effects on supplier performance." International Journal of Production Research 52.1 (2014): 32-49.

Brammer, S. and H. Walker. "Sustainable procurement in the public sector: an international comparative study." International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 31.4 (2011): 452-476.

Mellinger, Christopher D. and Thomas A. Hanson. Quantitative Research Methods in Translation and Interpreting Studies. Taylor & Francis, 2016.

Mosgaard, Mette Alberg. "Improving the practices of green procurement of minor items." Journal of cleaner production 90 (2015): 264-274.

Srivastava. Business Research Methodology . Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2011.

Uyarra, E., et al. "Barriers to innovation through public procurement: A supplier perspective." Technovation 34.10 (2014): 631-645.

Vogt, W Paul. SAGE Quantitative Research Methods. SAGE, 2011.

Walker, H. and W Phillips. "Sustainable procurement: emerging issues." International Journal of Procurement Management, 2.1 (2009): 41.