Influence of context on the purchasing process for freight transport services

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for analysing the contextual influence on the configuration of purchasing processes for freight transport services. A conceptual model suggests that three contextual dimensions, purchase task, importance, and service type, influence the different stages of the purchasing process. Data from seven case companies are used to explore the links between contextual factors and how the purchasing of freight transport is performed. Eight different types of context, and their implications for the configuration of the purchasing process, are presented. The framework offers guidance on the configuration of the purchasing process in specific contexts, highlighting, for example, that the level of detail of the specification stage can depend on the type of context.