Are Influential Buying Center Members Really Important for Industrial Purchase Decisions? Further Insights into Buying Center Decision-Making

Existing explanatory models and related measurement methods on buying center decision-making do not suggest a differentiated consideration of the influence construct. In this paper we specify the current view of a member’s influence in group decision-making by applying the Social Power Theory. Specifically, we investigate whether an integration of the individual’s motivation to exert influence (e.g. preference intensity) into existing measuring methods is able to improve the estimation accuracy of buying center decisions. The results of two extensive validation studies in different industrial sectors yield improved predictive validities.