Predicting bid protests: What should sourcing teams (not) do?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to better understand the effectiveness of buyers’ defensive measures to thwart bid protests in government procurements. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 240 sourcing professionals concerning government source selections is used to analyze a logistic regression model exploring 6 antecedents of bid protests. Findings This research implicates the importance of oral presentations of offers, the type of value procured (i.e. services), protest experience, the quantity of document revisions, transaction costs and cost reimbursement contracts in receiving a bid protest. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore sourcing strategy decisions that can contribute to the receipt of a bid protest. It adds clarity to an understudied market of business – the public sector.