A little help from my friends: how purchasing gains influence in complex business-to-business services: the case of legal

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to develop an understanding of how purchasing can become meaningfully involved in complex business-to-business service purchases. Design/methodology/approach - A single in-depth case study method of an exemplar organization was applied to better understand the purchasing function's role in adding to the value proposition in complex, non-traditional business-to-business service purchases. Findings - Powerful allies or advocates can mediate purchasing involvement in service procurement. However, once the involvement is initiated, purchasing must make a positive contribution with respect to the specific needs and expectations of the budget owner to retain its influence. Research limitations/implications - This research extends institutional theory to show how powerful allies or advocates can mediate purchasing involvement in the complex services spend. Practical implications - This study describes the potential impact of purchasing's involvement in complex services spend and highlights the opportunities for purchasing managers to improve supplier management and drive out additional costs. Originality/value - For the business practitioner, this research provides evidence regarding how individual functions can gain influence in the organization. A conceptual model describes the meaningful involvement of purchasing in complex business-to-business service purchases.