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Favoritism in asymmetric procurement auctions

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  • Lee, Joon-Suk

Abstract

I examine the costs and benefits of granting a right of first refusal (ROFR) to one bidder in a first-price procurement auction with two bidders. This right permits the favored bidder to win a contract by matching the bid of the competing bidder and is often observed in procurement auctions. I show that the auctioneer prefers to grant the ROFR to the ex-ante weak bidder and that granting this right can increase the auctioneer's expected payoff. The results continue to hold even when the auctioneer can set an optimal reserve price. Both the reserve price and the right of first refusal serve to elicit more aggressive bids and hence, to a certain degree, are substitute tools.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Joon-Suk, 2008. "Favoritism in asymmetric procurement auctions," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1407-1424, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:26:y:2008:i:6:p:1407-1424
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    Cited by:

    1. Alcalde, José & Dahm, Matthias, 2020. "Affirmative Action Through Endogenous Set-Asides," QM&ET Working Papers 20-1, University of Alicante, D. Quantitative Methods and Economic Theory.
    2. Cabral, Luís & Vasconcelos, Hélder, 2011. "Vertical integration and right of first refusal," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 50-53, October.
    3. Philippe Jehiel & Laurent Lamy, 2020. "On the Benefits of Set-Asides," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 1655-1696.
    4. Lars Isenhardt & Stefan Seifert & Silke Hüttel, 2023. "Tenant Favoritism and Right of First Refusals in Farmland Auctions: Competition and Price Effects," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 99(2), pages 302-324.
    5. Barbosa, Klenio & Boyer, Pierre C., 2021. "Discrimination in Dynamic Procurement Design with Learning-by-doing," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Arozamena, Leandro & Weinschelbaum, Federico, 2011. "On favoritism in auctions with entry," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 110(3), pages 265-267, March.
    7. Karine Brisset & François Cochard & François Maréchal, 2012. "The Value of a Right of First Refusal Clause in a Procurement First-Price Auction," Working Papers 2012-03, CRESE.
    8. Jun Nakabayashi & Naoki Watanabe, 2010. "An Experimental Study of Bidding Behavior in Subcontract Auctions," Tsukuba Economics Working Papers 2010-009, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba.
    9. Isenhardt, Lars & Seifert, Stefan & Huettel, Silke, 2021. "On the price effect of a right-of-first-refusal in farmland auctions," 95th Annual Conference, March 29-30, 2021, Warwick, UK (Hybrid) 312053, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    10. Karine Brisset & François Cochard & François Maréchal, 2015. "Is the newcomer more aggressive when the incumbent is granted a Right-of-First-Refusal in a procurement auction? Experimental Evidence," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 78(4), pages 639-665, April.
    11. Li, Sherry Xin & Dogan, Kutsal & Haruvy, Ernan, 2011. "Group identity in markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 104-115, January.
    12. Constantino Hevia & Martin Gonzalez‐Rozada & Martin Sola & Fabio Spagnolo, 2015. "Estimating and Forecasting the Yield Curve Using A Markov Switching Dynamic Nelson and Siegel Model," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 987-1009, September.
    13. Thomas, Charles J., 2011. "Vertical mergers in procurement markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 200-209, March.
    14. Xiaoshuai Fan & Ying‐Ju Chen & Christopher S. Tang, 2021. "To Bribe or Not in a Procurement Auction under Disparate Corruption Pressure," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(5), pages 1220-1245, May.
    15. Colucci, Domenico & Doni, Nicola & Valori, Vincenzo, 2012. "Preferential treatment in procurement auctions through information revelation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 883-886.
    16. Jiancai Pi, 2021. "An investigation of seeming favoritism in public procurement," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 89(1), pages 128-137, January.
    17. José Alcalde & Matthias Dahm, "undated". "Supplier Diversity before the Time of Cholera," Discussion Papers in Economics 20/07, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    18. Arozamena, Leandro & Weinschelbaum, Federico, 2009. "The effect of corruption on bidding behavior in first-price auctions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 645-657, August.
    19. Leandro Arozamena & Nicholas Shunda & Federico Weinschelbaum, 2014. "Optimal nondiscriminatory auctions with favoritism," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(1), pages 252-262.
    20. Roberto Burguet & Martin K. Perry, 2014. "Preferred Suppliers in Asymmetric Auction Markets," Working Papers 791, Barcelona School of Economics.
    21. Alcalde, José & Dahm, Matthias, 2024. "On the trade-off between supplier diversity and cost-effective procurement," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 63-90.
    22. Huang, He & Li, Zhipeng, 2015. "Procurement auctions with ex-ante endogenous bribery," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 111-117.

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