Abstract

By focusing on organisational buying behaviour in the aircraft component market in China and United Kingdom in 2000, this empirically based paper draws out comparative insights into cross-cultural interaction strategies. It investigates relative cross cultural influences with regard to three key intractable dimensions of organisational buying behaviour namely 'what' is the pattern of interaction and influence among decision-makers; 'now' do their respective national organisations formulate search rules and purchase procedures to buy; and 'why' differences can be discerned between respective countries buying organisations' choice criteria. Based on extensive data collection in China and UK, the study seeks to unravel key cross-cultural similarities and differences in organisational buying behaviour in an industry specific context.