A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Purchasing of knowledge-intensive business services: a case study of relevant factors




AuthorsEija-Liisa Heikka, Mekhail Mustak

PublisherInderscience Publishers

Publication year2015

JournalInternational Journal of Procurement Management

eISSN1753-8440

Web address http://www.inderscience.com/info/ingeneral/forthcoming.php?jcode=ijpm


Abstract

Purchasing of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) is one of the most crucial decisions that business customers make, as it may affect their businesses in numerous ways, from creating competitive advantage to fulfilling financial and regulatory objectives. Hence, it is crucial to know various dimensions regarding customer’s purchasing of KIBS. However, extant research does not shed enough light on the factors that affect the customers’ purchasing decisions regarding these services. The purpose of this study is thus to explore factors that influence business customers’ decisions to purchase knowledge intensive business services. A qualitative case study is applied to gain multi-dimensional understanding of the phenomenon. Findings reveal that several factors influence a customer’s purchasing decisions: convincing value propositions, individual preferences, perception of quality, geographic proximity, availability of information, risk perception, and possibility of customization.




Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 12:24