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Implicit Cost Allocation and Bidding for Contracts

Author

Listed:
  • Susan I. Cohen

    (College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois 61820)

  • Martin Loeb

    (College of Business and Management, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742)

Abstract

The question of how, or even whether, indirect costs should be allocated for pricing decisions has been controversial and unresolved. This paper takes a step toward answering this question by examining the special case of a firm that must incur incremental fixed costs to complete any or all of the several projects for which it is submitting simultaneous bids. An independent private-values bidding model is employed to endogenously determine an optimal cost allocation; we term such a cost allocation "implicit." The optimal implicit fixed cost allocation is shown to fully allocate fixed costs ex ante, although the fixed costs may be under, over, or exactly allocated ex post.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan I. Cohen & Martin Loeb, 1990. "Implicit Cost Allocation and Bidding for Contracts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(9), pages 1133-1138, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:36:y:1990:i:9:p:1133-1138
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.36.9.1133
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. J. Reiß & Jens Schöndube, 2010. "First-price equilibrium and revenue equivalence in a sequential procurement auction model," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 43(1), pages 99-141, April.
    2. Brosig, Jeannette & Heinrich, Timo, 2011. "Reputation and Mechanism Choice in Procurement Auctions – An Experiment," Ruhr Economic Papers 254, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Brosig, Jeannette & Rei[ss], J. Philipp, 2007. "Entry decisions and bidding behavior in sequential first-price procurement auctions: An experimental study," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 50-74, January.
    4. Brosig-Koch, Jeannette & Heinrich, Timo, 2018. "The role of communication content and reputation in the choice of transaction partners," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 49-66.
    5. Jeannette Brosig-Koch & Werner Güth & Torsten Weiland, 2016. "Comparing the effectiveness of collusion devices in first-price procurement: an auction experiment," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 269-295, December.
    6. Budde, Maximilian & Minner, Stefan, 2015. "Optimal capacity provision for service providers with subsequent auctioning of projects," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PB), pages 652-662.
    7. Werner Güth & Jeannette Brosig & Torsten Weiland, 2006. "Collusion mechanisms in procurement auctions: An experimental investigation," Papers on Strategic Interaction 2006-14, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group.
    8. Heinrich, Timo & Brosig-Koch, Jeannette, 2015. "Promises and Social Distance in Buyer-Determined Procurement Auctions," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112892, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    9. repec:zbw:rwirep:0254 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Jeanette Brosig & Timo Heinrich, 2011. "Reputation and Mechanism Choice in Procurement Auctions – An Experiment," Ruhr Economic Papers 0254, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    11. Lorentziadis, Panos L., 2008. "Pricing in multiple-item procurement auctions with a common to all items fixed cost," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 190(3), pages 790-797, November.

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