Process heuristics in organizational buying: Starting to fill a gap

摘要

More research on organizational buying behavior is required to develop dimensions of the decision-making process itself. We propose that one such dimension is process heuristics, or behavioral tendencies, decision strategies, or decision approaches invoked by the perception of various characteristics of the decision context. Process heuristics may drive more specific buying activities such as information search. Our study explores process heuristics and how they relate to aspects of the market and organizational context, and to the buying situation. Our study reveals two process heuristics, structuring and downgrading, for which we propose a model to explain the influences behind these heuristics being invoked.