Organisational buying behaviour in changing times

In a recent paper, Johnston and Lewin (1996) analyse the stream of research on organisational buyer behaviour published over the past 25 to 30 years isolating eight propositions which they encapsulate in their ‘Risk Continuum'. Our paper, reports a comparison between Johnston and Lewin's analysis of the extant literature and current buying practices as revealed by interviews with senior UK buyers. We found that business practice has changed in the intervening years. New, process-driven management styles are changing the way in which UK buyers and suppliers interact, yet work reflecting this change (by, for instance, the European based IMP Group) is under-represented in textbooks and teaching. We question the continuing predominance of the established risk management view of organisational buyer behaviour based upon research conducted in the USA 30 years ago.