Skip to main content
Helen Walker

Professor Helen Walker

Professor of Operations and Supply Management

Cardiff Business School

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a Professor of Operations and Supply Management in the Logistics and Operations Management section at Cardiff Business School. I was previously Deputy Head of Section at CRiSPS, University of Bath School of Management, and at the OM Group, Warwick Business School. My main research interests are sustainable procurement, sustainable supply chain management, ethical issues in purchaisng and supply, collaborative procurement and supply strategy.

I was President of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (2014-17). I have been a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Sustainable / Responsible Procurement Group, and the cross-government Sustainable Procurement Task Force.

I have provided advice, conducted research or participated in policy-making on sustainable procurement issues with public sector bodies such as the United Nations, the NHS, the ODPM, DEFRA, defence and local government. I have also conducted research with private firms such as PepsiCo and Boots. 

Helen is a Research Affiliate of the Sustainable Places Research Institute at Cardiff University interested in Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Publication

2024

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

  • Walker, H. L. 2009. Sustainable procurement: An analysis of constructs in the literature. Presented at: 16th International Annual EurOMA Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 14-17 June 2009.
  • Walker, H. L. and Bakker, E. 2009. Collaborative procurement across the UK public sector. Presented at: 18th Annual IPSERA Conference, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5- 8 April 2009.
  • Hampson, J., MacKenzie, N. and Walker, H. L. 2009. Case studies in sustainable and responsible procurement. Presented at: 18th IPSERA Conference Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5 – 8 April 2009Proceedings of the 18th IPSERA Conference: Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5–8 April 2009. International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) pp. 1112-1123.
  • Walker, H. L. and Bakker, E. 2009. Collaborative procurement: A relational view across the UK public sector. Presented at: 18th IPSERA Conference: Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5–8 April 2009Proceedings of the 18th IPSERA Conference: Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5–8 April 2009. International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) pp. 757-772.
  • Walker, H. L. 2009. Sustainable procurement: a literature review. Presented at: 18th IPSERA Conference: Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5–8 April 2009Proceedings of the 18th IPSERA Conference: Supply Management – Towards an Academic Discipline?, Wiesbaden, Germany, 5–8 April 2009. International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) pp. 742-756.
  • Walker, H. L. and Phillips, W. 2009. Sustainable procurement: emerging issues. International Journal of Procurement Management 2(1), pp. 41-61. (10.1504/IJPM.2009.021729)

2008

2001

Articles

Book sections

Conferences

Research

Research and PhD supervision interests

  • sustainable procurement
  • sustainable supply chain management
  • strategic purchasing and supply chain management
  • public procurement
  • corporate social responsibility
  • business ethics
  • outsourcing, off-shoring and in-sourcing
  • supply strategy
  • global supply chains
  • ethical issues in supply chains
  • modern slavery
  • theoretical approaches to operations and supply

Teaching

Teaching commitments

  • UG - BS3006 Responsible Strategic Supplier Management
  • PG  - BST805 Strategic SCM module
  • PhD - BST211 Advanced Issues in Logistics and Operations Management

Biography

Research and funding

Research focus has been on sustainable procurement, corporate social responsibility and sustainable supply chain management in the public and private sector. Conducted both quantitative and qualitative research, including case studies, interviews, focus groups and surveys. Refereed publications include journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, some of which have won best paper awards. Raised over £1 million funding for research.

 Leadership, teaching and supervision

Taught a variety of PhD, MBA and undergraduate courses and won teaching excellence awards.

Honours and awards

Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Best Paper Award (2015) for Touboulic, A. & Walker, H. (2015) Love me, love me not: Collaboration in sustainable supply chains. JPSM, 21(3), 178-191.

International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management 2015. Highly Commended Literati Award. Touboulic, A. & Walker, H. (2015) Theories in sustainable supply chain management: A structured literature review. IJPDLM, 45 (1/2), pp. 16-42

Public Administration Review 2014 Louis Brownlow Award: Walker, H., Schotanus, F., Bakker, E., & Harland, C. (2013)“Collaborative Procurement: A Relational View of Buyer-Buyer Relationships, Vol. 73, Issue 4, 588-598.

IPSERA Conference Nantes 2013 IFPSM Best Paper Relevant to Practice Award: Touboulic, A. & Walker, H. Sensemaking In Sustainable Supply Chains: Exploring Inter-organisational Processes and Meanings Through Stakeholders’ Perspective’

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Highly Commended Literati Award: Walker, H. & Jones, N. (2012) Sustainable supply chain management across the UK private sector, Vol 17, Issue 1, 15-28.

International Journal of Operations & Production Management. Outstanding Paper Literati Award: Brammer, S. & Walker, H. (2011) Sustainable procurement in the public sector: an international comparative study, Vol 31, Issue 4, 452-476.

Public Administration Review 2012 Louis Brownlow Award: Schotanus, F., Bakker, E., Walker, H. & Eßig, M. (2011) Development of Purchasing Groups during Their Life Cycle: From Infancy to Maturity, Vol. 71, Issue 2, 265-275.

IPSERA Conference Wiesbaden 2009 Best Paper Award (2500 Euros): Walker, H. Sustainable procurement; a literature review.

Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 2008 Best Paper Award: Walker, H., Di Sisto, L., & McBain, D. (2008) Drivers and barriers of environmental supply chain practices: lessons from the public and private sectors, Vol 14, No 1, pp 69-85.

International Public Procurement Conference Fort Lauderdale 2004 Best Manuscript Award ($1,500): Caldwell, N., Walker, H., Harland, C., Knight, L., & J. Zheng (2004) Promoting Competitive Markets: The role of public procurement.

Professional memberships

  • Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply
  • Academy of Management
  • EUROMA
  • IPSERA

Contact Details

Email WalkerHL@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 76570
Campuses Aberconway Building, Room B50/C50, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
Studentship success

Studentship success

07 August 2018