Risk assessment of electronic bidding: an approach by the theory of New Institutional Economy

Abstract

The research investigated the risk factors fortified by the use of the electronic bidding. As a theoretical foundation, the principles of the transaction costs’ theory were used. An investigative and descriptive research has been performed, with quantitative approach, aiming to classify the Union supplier companies according to the risk degree presented to the supplying contracts. There have been elaborated constructs, and these have been validated through Cronbach’s Alpha. Afterwards, factorial and cluster analysis were performed. Through these analyses it was possible to classify the suppliers into three groups. Through the results, it is assumed that the Government Agencies must create safeguards to be protected from opportunist actions. Therefore, it is important that there is a correct specification of the bidden products not to give access to the quotation of the lower quality products, and also, that the penalties fixed in law are applied to the opportunist suppliers, even if it implies in larger transaction costs.