Determinants of internet use in the purchasing process

Purpose – Determinants of internet adoption in industrial purchase have rarely been paid attention in the literature. Considering this gap in the literature, the present study intends to approach the factors that determine the use of the internet as a source of information in procurement. Design/methodology/approach – This research analyzes whether different internet tools are used throughout the phases in the purchasing process and, at the same time, whether the characteristics of the buying situation determine the use of the internet in that process. The survey is based on an e‐mailed questionnaire sent to a sample of 103 Spanish firms. Findings – In general, different uses of the internet tools are not observed in the different stages of the buying process. However, the characteristics of purchasing situations (novelty, complexity, perceived risk, time pressure and personal stake) at each buying situation make possible an explanation of the use of different internet tools throughout the different phases in purchasing. Research limitations/implications – The results of this paper show that there are implications for practitioners related to the core hypotheses of the research. The contingency approach employed in the study makes it easier to adapt the different internet tools (web pages, intranet development or adoption of videoconference technology) to the specific characteristics of the buying situation in which they are primarily used. On the other hand, the main limitation of this research lies in the composition of the sample, so that it could be considered suitable to extend the study to different product lines and to decisions on service contracts in the near future. Originality/value – This research analyzes whether different internet tools are used throughout the phases in the purchasing process and, at the same time, whether the characteristics of the buying situation determine the use of the internet in that process.