A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Purchasing of knowledge-intensive business services: a case study of relevant factors
Authors: Eija-Liisa Heikka, Mekhail Mustak
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Publication year: 2015
Journal: International Journal of Procurement Management
eISSN: 1753-8440
Web address : http://www.inderscience.com/info/ingeneral/forthcoming.php?jcode=ijpm
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.