The second and third factors in creating differential expectations are the source and type of information each of the decision makers is exposed to and his participation in the active search.It is not too difficult to assess differences among the three types of individuals in their exposure to various sources and types of information by standard survey research methods.Purchasing agents receive disproportionately greater exposure to commercial sources, and the information is often partial and biased toward the supplier or the brand.The engineering and production personnel, therefore, typically have less information and what they have is obtained primarily from professional meetings, trade reports, and even word-of- mouth.In addition, the active search for information is often relegated to the purchasing agents because it is presumed to be their job responsibility.In some companies, it is even a common practice to discourage sales representatives from talking directly to the engineering or production personnel.