University of Zagreb research grant: Development of a methodology for determining the organizational buyer’s styles of decision on purchasing

Grant holder: The Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb
Duration: November, 2013 – June, 2014
Collaborators: Edo Rajh, Ivan-Damir Anić


Starting from theoretical taxonomies of the organizational buyer’s behavior, the project's objective is to develop a methodology to determine the decision-making styles of organizational buyers in the Croatian business and social contexts. The research is based on the development of an instrument for determining decision-making styles of organizational buyers. The research project was conducted in two phases.
The first phase of the research included a detailed review of existing domestic and foreign scientific literature, based on which a set of initial particles (claims) that describe the behavior of an organizational buyer was developed. The specified particles were checked through deep interviews on a sample of experts. The questionnaire with checked particles was further corrected by research on a sample and by carrying out statistical analyzes (factor or cluster analysis) that generated the dimensions of the organizational buyer's behavior.
In the second phase of the research the developed instrument was applied on a sample from Croatian companies (procurement managers or other persons with similar job description in a company). Statistical analysis tested the validity and reliability of the developed instrument.