Mapping administrative divergence: a comparative benchmarking of healthcare procurement in the CEE region
Mapping administrative divergence: a comparative benchmarking of healthcare procurement in the CEE region

Summary/Abstract: This study explores the divergent trajectories of public procurement management in the healthcare sectors of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), focusing on Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Despite being governed by the same EU regulatory framework, these nations exhibit different levels of administrative maturity and institutional behavior. The research applies Institutional Theory, specifically the concepts of coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, to analyze regional divergence. The study employs a multi-dimensional benchmarking framework, triangulating data from the EU Single Market Scoreboard, OECD assessments, national procurement platforms, and Transparency International indices (2019–2024 and proposes a Procurement Management Maturity Matrix, categorizing the systems into three stages: Reactive, Systematized, and Strategic. Persistent institutional voids lead to "performative compliance," where administrative actions satisfy legal mandates but fail to deliver strategic value. The paper argues that moving toward procurement maturity requires a transition from "administrative mimesis" (copying procedures) to "professionalized strategy." By providing a unique theoretical categorization of CEE procurement systems, this study offers a diagnostic tool for policy-makers and hospital managers to identify and bridge the gap between formal legal compliance and effective organizational performance.

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