Market dialogue in public procurement: Buyer-supplier interfaces and relational abilities

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that public procurement promotes transactional and standardized interfaces between public buyers and suppliers. The use of more interactive and translational interfaces in market dialogues during the pre-tender phase of public procurement has received limited academic interest. Based on a multiple-case study, this paper aims to address this research gap by focusing on public buyer-supplier interfaces and the buyer's and the suppliers' abilities to interact during market dialogues. Thereby, we contribute to the literature on public procurement and supplier management. First, we enrich the interface framework by showing that interaction can be achieved in market dialogues and highlighting that the dialogues do not necessarily feature only one interface but may contain a configuration of interfaces varying by interface type and sequencing. Second, we elaborate on the subdimensions of the public buyer's and the suppliers' relational abilities, which influence the buyer-supplier interfaces obtained through the market dialogue. We offer implications for organizing market dialogues in public procurement.