Emotions in organisational buying behaviour: A qualitative empirical investigation in Austria

In the face of current value chain trends, e.g. outsourcing, global sourcing or the constitution of buying centres, B2B buyer-seller relationships are increasingly important. A frequently assumed paradigm of organizational buying behaviour is that professional buyers pursue corporate decisions based on rigorous cognitive analysis. Whereas consumer buying behaviour research suggests a strong influence of emotional aspects, the literature on organizational buying and supply chain management predominantly emphasizes the cognitive perspective of purchasing decisions. However it is questionable, whether purchasing representatives radically change their consumer behaviour in their business contexts. The majority of existing empirical (predominantly quantitative) surveys show limited explanatory power regarding emotional aspects within B2B purchasing and often can’t be generalized. Altogether there are strong reasons to investigate the nature of emotions in the course of professional purchase decisions. This paper intends to study the questions how far emotion is involved in the organizational buying and decision making process and which emotions can be identified. Subsequent to a thorough literature review we will apply a qualitative empirical research approach. The results will be duly substantiated into concrete managerial recommendations within the fields of sales and supplier management.