IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/ctswps/2011_013.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Why are bids not more unbalanced?

Author

Listed:
  • Mandell, Svante

    (VTI)

  • Nyström, Johan

    (VTI)

Abstract

Earlier theoretical models of unbalanced bidding in unit price contracts (UPC) ofter predict corner solutions, i.e. zero bids for unit prices of expected overextimated quantities. However, anecdotal evidence indicates a lack of zero bids in the actual contracts. We pursue a possible explanation for this anomaly in risk-aversion of the contractor. Using a simple model we show that a contractor with superior information may exploit this in the bidding process to increase her expectd revenue. However, in so doing she increases her risk exposure. If the contractor is risk-averse, she typically will avoid a corner solution to this risk vs. expected return trade-off.

Suggested Citation

  • Mandell, Svante & Nyström, Johan, 2011. "Why are bids not more unbalanced?," Working papers in Transport Economics 2011:13, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2011_013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.transportportal.se/SWoPEc/CTS2011-13.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Susan Athey & Jonathan Levin, 2001. "Information and Competition in U.S. Forest Service Timber Auctions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(2), pages 375-417, April.
    2. David Arditi & Ranon Chotibhongs, 2009. "Detection and prevention of unbalanced bids," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(8), pages 721-732.
    3. Gibbons, Robert, 2005. "Four forma(lizable) theories of the firm?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 200-245, October.
    4. Mandell, Svante & Nilsson, Jan-Eric, 2010. "A Comparison of Unit Price and Fixed Price Contracts for Infrastructure Construction Projects," Working Papers 2010:13, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
    5. Ewerhart, Christian & Fieseler, Karsten, 2003. "Procurement Auctions and Unit-Price Contracts," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 34(3), pages 569-581, Autumn.
    6. David William Cattell & Paul Anthony Bowen & Ammar Kaka, 2010. "The risks of unbalanced bidding," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 333-344.
    7. David William Cattell & Paul Anthony Bowen & Ammar Kaka, 2008. "A simplified unbalanced bidding model," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(12), pages 1283-1290.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Svante Mandell & Johan Nyström, 2013. "Too Much Balance in Unbalanced Bidding," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 1(1), pages 23-35, June.
    2. Nyström, Johan & Wikström, Daniel, 2019. "Empirical analysis of unbalanced bidding on Swedish roads," Working Papers 2019:4, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
    3. Polat Gul & Turkoglu Harun & Damci Atilla & Akin Firat Dogu, 2020. "Detecting unbalanced bids via an improved grading-based model," Organization, Technology and Management in Construction, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 2072-2082, January.
    4. Dakshina G. De Silva & Timothy Dunne & Georgia Kosmopoulou & Carlos Lamarche, 2015. "Project modifications and bidding in highway procurement auctions," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2015-14, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    5. Sander Renes, 2011. "Balancing the Bids, Solutions for Unit Price Auctions," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 11-047/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Aloisio Araujo & Luciano Castro & Humberto Moreira, 2008. "Non-monotoniticies and the all-pay auction tie-breaking rule," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 35(3), pages 407-440, June.
    7. Moreira, Humberto Ataíde & Araújo, Aloísio Pessoa de & Castro Filho, Luciano I. de, 2004. "Pure strategy equilibria of multidimensional and non-monotonic auctions," FGV EPGE Economics Working Papers (Ensaios Economicos da EPGE) 571, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil).
    8. Missbauer, Hubert & Hauber, Wolfgang, 2006. "Bid calculation for construction projects: Regulations and incentive effects of unit price contracts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(3), pages 1005-1019, June.
    9. Schmitz, Patrick W., 2021. "On the optimality of outsourcing when vertical integration can mitigate information asymmetries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    10. Christopher Hansman & Jonas Hjort & Gianmarco León-Ciliotta & Matthieu Teachout, 2020. "Vertical Integration, Supplier Behavior, and Quality Upgrading among Exporters," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(9), pages 3570-3625.
    11. Matoso, Rafael & Rezende, Marcelo, 2014. "Asymmetric information in oil and gas lease auctions with a national company," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 72-82.
    12. Subramanian Rangan & Metin Sengul, 2009. "Information technology and transnational integration: Theory and evidence on the evolution of the modern multinational enterprise," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1496-1514, December.
    13. Barbosa, Klenio, 2009. "Free Riding in Procurement Design," TSE Working Papers 09-128, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    14. Stoll, Sebastian & Zöttl, Gregor, 2012. "Information Disclosure in Dynamic Buyer-Determined Procurement Auctions: An Empirical Study," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 62044, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Hideshi Itoh, 2006. "The Theories of International Outsourcing and Integration : A Theoretical Overview from the Perspective of Organizational Economics," Microeconomics Working Papers 21891, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    16. David Martimort & Aggey Semenov & Lars Stole, 2017. "A Theory of Contracts with Limited Enforcement," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 84(2), pages 816-852.
    17. Luca Corazzini & Stefano Galavotti & Rupert Sausgruber & Paola Valbonesi, 2017. "Allotment in first-price auctions: an experimental investigation," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 20(1), pages 70-99, March.
    18. John Asker & Estelle Cantillon, 2008. "Properties of scoring auctions," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(1), pages 69-85, March.
    19. Sande, Jon Bingen & Haugland, Sven A., 2015. "Strategic performance effects of misaligned formal contracting: The mediating role of relational contracting," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 187-194.
    20. Kräkel, Matthias, 2006. "Firm Size, Economic Situation and Influence Activities," IZA Discussion Papers 2391, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unbalanced bidding; risk; modelling; unit price contraction; public procurement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2011_013. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CTS (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.cts.kth.se/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.