Jason,an administrative assistant,made several telephone calls and received product literature from several firms for the recarpeting of the construction company's office.Just prior to the meeting to discuss the project,Jason gave Ben these brochures.Ben,one of the project managers,threw a couple brochures into a waste basket before the meeting started.He told Jason that those companies sold inferior carpet products.Jason was acting in what role in the buying center?
A)gatekeeper
B)decider
C)influencer
D)obstructionist
E)power-broker

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jason is acting as a gatekeeper, as he is responsible for gathering information and screening potential suppliers before presenting them to the project managers. In this case, he received product literature from several firms and provided them to Ben for evaluation. However, his role as a gatekeeper does not necessarily include making decisions about which products or suppliers to choose. That is the responsibility of the deciders in the buying center. Ben, as a project manager, is likely to be a decider in this case.

Jason,an Administrative Assistant,made Several Telephone Calls and Received Product Literature