School of Management Blekinge Institute of Technology

How macro environmental forces affect business buying behavior after a recession:
A case study of the second hand truck business

NAME OF AUTHOR Christos Kakazoukis NAME OF SUPERVISOR Urban Ljungquist

MASTER’S THESIS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MBA PROGRAM Jan 2011
Thesis for the Master’s degree in Business Administration Autumn 2010

Abstract
Master thesis in business administration, MBA Program, School of Management, Blekinge Institute of Technology, fall of 2010. Author: Christos Kakazoukis Supervisor: Urban Ljungquist Title: How macro environmental forces affect business buying behavior after a recession: A case study of the second hand truck business. Keywords: Buying behavior, customer behavior, financial crisis, trucks, PESTEL Background and problem: The financial crisis has had a deep impact on businesses all around the world. This has affected our purchases, both as retailers and as customers. In this thesis I will investigate how the buying behavior has changed, before, during and after the financial crisis with focus on the second hand truck business. I will also investigate which macro environmental factors have affected the buying behavior.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to describe changes in buying behaviors from influence of macro environmental forces. Method: I have used a qualitative method, and as a part of that face to face interviews, to understand and establish a better contact with the respondents. At the selection of companies I have chosen three companies in the second hand truck business, located on the west coast of Sweden. They required to not be mentioned by their name so they are referred to as Company A, B and C. Result and conclusions: The conclusions which can be drawn from this thesis research is that the macro environmental forces which have had a