The authors focus on emergent buying center networks in firms that rec
ently have purchased an expensive, complex, technological product. The
authors examine how a person's information control and influence vary
within such networks. The purpose of this study is to assess the rela
tive contribution of information control, individual attributes, and o
rganization structure variables on influence. The authors find that fa
ctors related to the person are the most important in explaining a buy
ing center member's influence for this type of purchasing decision. Al
though less important, the variables of information control, decentral
ization, and formalization also affect influence.Overall, the authors
find strong empirical support for their model.