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Taking the Lab to the Field: Experimental Tests of Alternative Mechanisms to Procure Multiple Contracts

Author

Listed:
  • Anders Lunander

    (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute and Department of Economics, Örebro University)

  • Jan-Eric Nilsson

    (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute and Department of Economics, Dalarna University)

Abstract

The first part of the paper reports the results from a sequence of laboratory experiments comparing the bidding behavior for multiple contracts in three different sealed bid auction mechanisms; first-price simultaneous, first-price sequential and first-price combinatorial bidding. The design of the experiment is based on experiences from a public procurement auction of road markings in Sweden. Bidders are asymmetric in their cost functions; some exhibit decreasing average costs of winning more than one contract, whereas other bidders have increasing average cost functions. The combinatorial bidding mechanism is demonstrated to be most efficient. The second part of the paper describes how the lab experiment was followed up by a field test of a combinatorial procurement auction of road markings.

Suggested Citation

  • Anders Lunander & Jan-Eric Nilsson, 2003. "Taking the Lab to the Field: Experimental Tests of Alternative Mechanisms to Procure Multiple Contracts," Working Papers 2003.28, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    • Handle: RePEc:fem:femwpa:2003.28
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Iftekhar, M. S. & Tisdell, J. G., 2018. "Learning in repeated multiple unit combinatorial auctions: An experimental study," Working Papers 267301, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    2. Hultkrantz, Lars & Lunander, Anders, 2013. "Design of a Combinatorial Bidding Market for Green Corridor Freight," Working Papers 2013:6, Örebro University, School of Business.
    3. Lunander, Anders & Lundberg, Sofia, 2009. "Do Combinatorial Procurement Auctions Lower Cost? - An Empirical Analysis of Public Procurement of Multiple Contracts," Umeå Economic Studies 776, Umeå University, Department of Economics, revised 16 Sep 2009.
    4. De Silva, Dakshina G. & Kankanamge, Anuruddha & Kosmopoulou, Georgia, 2007. "A change in the timing of auctions with synergies and its impact on bidding behavior," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 60-65, April.
    5. de Jong, Gerard, 2012. "Application of experimental economics in transport and logistics," European Transport \ Trasporti Europei, ISTIEE, Institute for the Study of Transport within the European Economic Integration, issue 50, pages 1-3.
    6. M. S. Iftekhar & A. Hailu & R. K. Lindner, 2014. "Does It Pay to Increase Competition in Combinatorial Conservation Auctions?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 62(3), pages 411-433, September.
    7. Dakshina G. De Silva & Anuruddha Kankanamge & Georgia Kosmopoulou, 2005. "The Impact Of Change In Auction Format On Bidding Behavior," Microeconomics 0512009, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Sherstyuk, Katerina & Dulatre, Jeremy, 2008. "Market performance and collusion in sequential and simultaneous multi-object auctions: Evidence from an ascending auctions experiment," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 557-572, March.
    9. Anthony M. Kwasnica & Katerina Sherstyuk, 2013. "Multiunit Auctions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 461-490, July.
    10. Katerina Sherstyuk, 2009. "A comparison of first price multi-object auctions," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 12(1), pages 42-64, March.
    11. Hultkrantz, Lars, 2005. "A review of universal-service policy," Working Papers 2005:5, Örebro University, School of Business.
    12. Ridderstedt, Ivan & Nilsson, Jan-Eric, 2023. "Economies of scale versus the costs of bundling: Evidence from procurements of highway pavement replacement," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiple units; non-constant costs; asymmetric redemption values; alternative procurement mechanisms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation

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