Online reverse auctions: power tools and fair perceptions?

Online reverse auctions have been a controversial addition to the buyer\´s tool-kit. While promising significant procurement savings, their use has drawn criticism for being "unfair" and short-sighted from suppliers and observers alike. In this paper, a buyer\´s use of online auctions from a fairness perspective is explored, considering social-psychological approaches to understanding perceptions of just outcomes and procedures. Questions are raised regarding the drivers of perceived injustice in the online auction context. It is argued that at a minimum, buyers interested in long-term sustainability should take care to establish and communicate highly fair procedural rules and guidelines.