A taxonomical structure for classifying the goods purchased by the Federal Government

Abstract

This thesis is an attempt to develop a taxonomical structure to use in the classification of the goods purchased by the Federal Government. The primary objective was to develop a usable scheme that practitioners could employ in classifying goods along a continuum from simple to complex. A secondary objective of this thesis was to determine the characteristics of the goods, other than their obvious physical differences, to utilize in classifying. Using 21 randomly selected heterogeneous goods and a scaling process, a survey was conducted to determine the relationship between these goods and the chosen characteristics. Cluster analysis was then utilized to group the goods into categories that exhibited similar characteristics. As a result of the research, a taxonomical structure for classifying the population of Government goods into five categories was developed. The potential benefits from using such a scheme could arise in the staffing and directing of procurement functions, training and education of the acquisition workforce, and refinement of procurement policy. It is recommended that the taxonomical model resulting from this research be validated and refined through further use.