Power priorities: A buyer–seller comparison of areas of influence

Abstract

This paper contributes to the operationalisation of the power construct in inter-organisational relationships through establishing what buyers and sellers seek to influence, and the relative priorities of these areas for both roles. Through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire, four constructs emerge: Commercial Detail, Operational Issues, Strategic Issues and Attitudes. These are identified as the key power priorities that buyers and sellers seek to influence within their inter-organisational relationships. The results reveal that despite some differences in rank-order by role, only the Commercial Detail construct reveals significant differences between the buyers’ and sellers’ ability to influence. Despite this difference, the results provide evidence that buyers and sellers share more commonalities than differences. The research adds an important dimension to understanding organisational buyer behaviour, specifically contextualising power and the boundaries of buyers’ and sellers’ influence.