Supplier Relationship Management as a Mediating Mechanism between Stakeholder Pressure and Contract Performance in Public School Construction Projects in Uganda

Abstract

Public school construction is central to expanding equitable access to education, yet contract implementation in Uganda continues to be constrained by delays, stalled works, quality deficiencies, and weak coordination across project actors. This paper examined whether supplier relationship management (SRM) mediates the relationship between stakeholder pressure and contract performance in public school construction projects in Bushenyi District, Uganda. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitative data were obtained from 92 respondents involved in school construction oversight and implementation, while qualitative evidence was generated through key-informant interviews and documentary review. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples; qualitative evidence was analysed thematically and used for triangulation. Stakeholder pressure was positively related to SRM (r = .641, p < .001) and contract performance (r = .586, p < .001), while SRM was strongly related to contract performance (r = .704, p < .001). Mediation analysis established a significant total effect of stakeholder pressure on contract performance (B = .583, SE = .062, 95% CI [.460, .706], p < .001), a significant remaining direct effect after introducing SRM (B = .236, SE = .071, 95% CI [.096, .376]), and a significant indirect effect through SRM (B = .347, Boot SE = .070, 95% bootstrap CI [.218, .493]). Because both the direct-effect and indirect-effect confidence intervals excluded zero, the results confirmed partial mediation. Interview and documentary evidence showed that stakeholder monitoring became more consequential when it induced early supplier engagement, regular communication, coordinated material delivery, joint problem-solving, and timely dispute resolution. The paper concludes that oversight pressure alone is insufficient: its performance value is partly transmitted through the quality of contractor-supplier relationships. Public procuring entities should therefore integrate structured SRM mechanisms into contract administration and stakeholder-monitoring systems.