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Finally, an understanding of the process by which firms’ purchase decisions are made will
improve the ability of suppliers to influence these decisions. This research helps to shed light on
the process by which a firm’s strategic type and orientation influence its buying decisions, in
addition to variables such as size, which may be merely correlational indicators of behavior
rather than causal influencers. For example, customer-oriented firms, i.e., firms with a strategic
commitment to satisfying their customers, are likely to make buying decisions that improve their
relationships with customers. These firms are also more likely to be responsive to suppliers’
marketing appeals that emphasize the value of such products and/or services to the buying firm’s
end-consumers. In sum, therefore, employing or considering the strategic type and orientation of
industrial buyers is likely to considerably improve the effectiveness of segmenting schemes
applied to industrial markets.