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Competitive Bidding: Department of Defense and Private Sector Practices
Author(s) -
Williams Robert F.,
Bakhshi V. Sagar
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of purchasing and materials management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.75
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1745-493X
pISSN - 0094-8594
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-493x.1988.tb00635.x
Subject(s) - bidding , competition (biology) , government (linguistics) , business , private sector , accountability , legislature , equity (law) , marketing , industrial organization , economics , law , political science , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , biology , economic growth
Government is ever vigilant to promote competition in the federal acquisition process (especially in the Department of Defense [DOD]), hoping to reduce the prices it pays for supplies and services, to enhance the industrial base, to provide opportunities for every responsible offeror to compete, and to some extent to align its buying procedures with the private sector. In its quest for fairness, equity, and competition, the government has created a myriad of rules, regulations, and procedures. The underlying assumption seems to be that private industry is more competitive and efficient, and that government can duplicate this behavior by legislative process. However, a comparison of DOD and commercial competitive buying reveals a significant difference in their behavior due to different goals, philosophies, accountability, and procedural guidance.