The objective of this thesis is to investigate how the influences of the
Internet on the Organisational Buying Behaviour of professional services can
be characterised.
The way organisations purchase services is one of the most important
questions to the business marketing managers of today. The buying of
professional services by organisations is complex and difficult to analyse.
Each organisation has their own way of purchasing and these ways are better
known as the organisational buying process. The people involved in this
process form the buying centre, and the factors that influence the buying
organisation are the influencing factors in the Organisational Buying
Behaviour.
In recent years access to new techniques is easier and cheaper. More and
more companies adapt their system to the Internet. The Internet offer
different blends of opportunities to companies due to variances in speed of,
control over, and access to communication and distribution channels. The
Internet as a marketing channel will revolutionise the service business.
However, this depends on how many added values there are in the Internet
communication. These communications and distribution functions will change
the traditional way of conducting business.
The Organisational Buying Behaviour is a complex and dynamic process that
requires plenty of information. Purchasing professional services involves a
lot of risks, time and money. Selection of professional services requires
information, knowledge and know-how about the related subject and area.
However, Internet provides the seller and the buying company, opportunities
and access to information and eases the way to find what is required. At the
same time this communication tool is threatening to change and influence the
way businesses are conducted. Therefore, marketers have to identify the
reasons to, and have an understanding of, how the influence of Internet can
affect different processes.
The investigation in this thesis was conducted through four case studies.
The necessary data collection was performed through four personal
interviews. The survey of literature contains different models within the
frame of Organisational Buying Behaviour of professional services, such as,
the buying process, the buying centre and the influencing factors on the
Organisational Buying Behaviour. Also, theories regarding the Internet and
different communication models are described. These models are discussed
further in the frame of references.
The result of the case studies shows that the influences of the Internet
affect the buying process in a way that makes the process faster and more
efficient. However, the buying centre was not considered to be affected. The
respondents did neither belie...
