Multidimensional auctions for long-term procurement contracts with early-exit options: The case of conservation contracts
16.05.2018
Luca Di Corato (Dipartimento Jonico, Universitร degli Studi di Bari), Cesare Dosi (Department of Economics and Management, University of Padova, andย Centro di Ricerca Interuniversitario sullโEconomia Pubblica), Michele Moretto (Department of Economics and Management, University of Padova,ย Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Centro Studi Levi-Cases)
Auctions/bidding, Public procurement, Real options, Contract breach, Conservation contracts,
Science Direct
"European Journal of Operational Research", Volume 267, Issue 1
Conservation contracts, aimed at encouraging preservation and maintenance of natural areas, generally involve long-term obligations. Yet, contractors can find it profitable to breach the agreement when the opportunity cost of keeping their land idle for environmental purposes increases, and contracts do not provide for adequate early termination penalties. In this paper, we study how exit options can affect bidding behavior and the buyerโs and the sellerโs expected payoffs in multidimensional procurement auctions. First, we show that biddersโ payoff is lower when competing for contracts with unenforceable contract terms. Second, we show that neglecting the risk of opportunistic behavior by sellers can lead to contract awards that do not maximize the buyerโs potential payoff. Third, we make suggestions about how to mitigate potential misallocations by pointing out the role of eligibility rules and competition among bidders.