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Measuring and Managing Ex Ante Transaction Costs in Public Sector Contracting

Bibliographic Data

ID6364287
AuthorsOle Helby Petersen (0000-0003-4415-6608, Roskilde University), Erik Baekkeskov (0000-0001-9028-9570, The University of Melbourne), Matthew Potoski (0000-0003-2011-338X, University of California, Santa Barbara), Trevor L Brown (The Ohio State University)
Year2019
Volume79
Issue5
Pages641-650
Publication date2019-04-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Administration Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/puar.13048
OpenAlexW2929356904
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited47

Transaction cost attributes, such as the complexity of the product being purchased, shape the risk that government contracts will fail. When transaction cost risks are particularly strong, a common prescription is to avoid contracting altogether or, if it is unavoidable, to spend additional resources on contract management activities. This article presents evidence on the size and variability of governments' ex ante transaction cost spending, using original data from 72 contracts issued by 47 Danish local governments. Ex ante transaction costs average 2.7 percent per contract and are relatively higher when services are more complex and lower when governments have prior contracting experience and contracts were larger. The analyses suggest the importance of distinguishing between transaction cost attributes and governments' choices to spend resources in response to them. Effective management spending in the face of transaction costs can help governments organize and capture value from contracting with private businesses

Business · Database · Database transaction · Economics · Economy · Ex-ante · Public sector · Transaction cost · Computer Science · Finance · Outsourcing and Supply Chain Management · Public Procurement and Policy · Public-Private Partnership Projects

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Unique citing works31
Citations per year4,43
Citation span2019 - 2026 (8)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 31
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