PARTICIPATION IN THE BUYING PROCESS: A VENDOR'S PERSPECTIVE

The objective of this research was to explore the question, “Who is involved in the various phases of the organizational buying process?” To provide a framework for analysis, a BUYGRID model was modified so that the degree of participation of three levels of organizations could be examined in each buy phase for both a new‐task and a modified rebuy situation for the purchase of a computer software package. The BUYGRID model was modified to introduce a “negotiation loop,” a phase that has not traditionally been included as a buy phase. The results reveal that top management and middle management are significantly more involved than the operations group in six of the phases of the buying process, including the negotiation phase.