Import Purchasing Decision Behaviour: An Empirical Study of Japanese Import Managers

Abstract

Reports on a study of the relative importance of 17 import decision variables as rated by Japanese import managers. A systematic sample of 52 managers representing different companies in Japan participated. The Japanese findings were compared with the US data from an earlier study by the author. Japanese importers rated product quality as the most important variable when importing products from overseas followed by timely delivery, price, and dependability of long‐term supply. The US importers, by contrast, were not as concerned with product quality but they rated timely delivery, price, long‐term supply dependability variables as high as their Japanese counterparts. Product safety was also of major concern to the Japanese importers (ranked 5th) but it ranked last (17th) in importance to US importers. Importing is equally important with exporting in international trade. Yet, the import purchasing study has received little attention. Further studies of a comparative nature in this field will serve to develop a theory of import purchasing behaviour.