ORGANIZATIONALBUYERBeHAVIOR 93
- Organizationalbuyingdecisionsfrequentlyinvolvea rangeofcomplextechnical
dimensions. ApurchasingagentforVolvoAutomobiles,forexample,mustcon-
sidera numberoftechnicalfactorsbeforeorderinga radiotogointothenewmodel.
Theelectronicsystem,theacousticsoftheinterior,andtheshapeofthedashboard
area fewoftheseconsiderations. - Theorganizationaldecisionprocessfrequentlyspansa considerabletime,creat-
inga significantlagbetweenthemarketer'sinItialcontactwiththecustomerand
thepurchasingdecision.Sincemanynewfactorscanenterthepictureduringthis
lagtime,themarketer'sabilitytomonitorandadjusttothesechangesis critical. - Organizationscannotbegroupedintoprecisecategories. Eachorganizationhas
a characteristicwayoffunctioninganda personalityJo
Thefirstiteminthislistofcharacteristicshasimportantimplications.Unliketheconsumer
buyingprocess,organizationalbuyinginvolvesdecisionmakingbygroupsandenforces
rulesformakingdecisions.Thesetwocharacteristicsgreatlycomplicatethetaskofunder-
standingthebuyingprocess.Forexample,topredictthebuyingbehaviorofanorganiza-
tionwithcertainty,itisimportanttoknowwhowilltakepartinthebuyingprocess,what
criteriaeachmemberusesinevaluatingprospectivesuppliers,andwhatinfluenceeachmem-
berhas.Itisalsonecessarytounderstandsomethingnotonlyaboutthepsychologyofthe
individualsinvolvedbutalsohowtheyworkasa group.Whomakesthedecisiontobuy
dependsinpartonthesituation.Threetypesofbuyingsituationshavebeendistinguished:
thestraightrebuy,themodifiedrebuy,andthenewtask.
Thestraightrebuyis thesimplestsituation:Thecompanyreordersa goodorservice
withoutanymodifications.Thetransactiontendstoberoutineandmaybehandledtotally
bythepurchasingdepartment.Withthemodifiedrebuy,thebuyeris seekingtomodifyprod-
uctspecifications, prices,andsoon.Thepurchaserisinterestedinnegotiation,andseveral
participantsmaytakepartinthebuyingdecision.A companyfacesanewtaskwhenit con-
sidersbuyinga productforthefirsttime.Thenumberofparticipantsandtheamountof
informationsoughttendtoincreasewiththecostandrisksassociatedwiththetransaction.
Thissituationrepresentsthebestopportunityforthemarketer.
StagesinOrganizationalBuying
Theorganizationalbuyingprocesscontainseightstages,orkeyphrases,whicharelisted
inFigure4.3.Althoughthesestagesparallelthoseoftheconsumerbuyingprocess, there
areimportantdifferencesthathavea directbearingonthemarketingstrategy.Thecom-
pleteprocessoccurs(lillyinthecaseofa newtask.Eveninthissituation,however,theprocess
is farmoreformalfortheindustrialbuyingprocessthanfortheconsumerbuyingprocess.
Mostoftheinformationanindustrialbuyerreceivesis deliveredthroughdirectcon-
tactssuchassalesrepresentativesorinformationpackets.Itisunlikelythatanindustrial
buyerwoulduseinformationprovidedthrougha tradeadasthesolebasisformakinga
decision.
- Problemrecognition.Theprocessbeginswhensomeoneintheorganizationrec-
ognizesa problemorneedthatcanbemetbyacquiringa goodorservice.Prob-
lemrecognitioncanoccurasa resultofinternalorexternalstimuli.Externalstimuli
canbea presentationbya salesperson,anad,orinformationpickedupat a trade
show. - Generalneeddescription.Havingrecognizedthata needexists,thebuyersmust
addfurtherrefinementtoitsdescription. Workingwithengineers,users,purchasing