Purchasing and personality: a review of the literature and a case for further research

Abstract

When we picture the purchasing process, we typically imagine physical products, prices, deliveries and information systems managing it all. We often forget about the buyers and sellers, i.e., the people engaged in the process. Like much of supply chain management, purchasing involves interpersonal relationships between the people engaged in the process. Each of these people have unique ways of communicating, taking in information, making decisions and structuring their life and work; i.e., they each have different personality types. This article reviews the literature to explore current research uncovering possible connections between personality and the purchasing process, while also making suggestions for further research in this little-studied area.