Table 2 Items from the opportunity recognition scale used in Study 1

 1.

I try to keep up by reading journals related to my industry.

 2.

I ask myself what the important issues in my work are and then I ask how new information fits into this framework.

 3.

I combine my experiences and insights concerning the industry in which I work.

 4.

I gather knowledge from my industry from different perspectives.

 5.

I regularly talk to people working in my industry to keep up with new developments.

 6.

I study my competitors at trade fairs and conferences.

 1.

I feel stimulated to come up with new ideas when customers or people in the buying center express their thoughts and ideas.

 2.

I notice that many of my ideas are generated by customers asking me challenging questions.

 3.

When customers make suggestions or make complaints I seek to learn from them.

 4.

When customers ask me difficult and challenging questions I get stimulated.

 5.

When customers ask me challenging questions, I feel as if I am in the flow.

 1.

I seek to find out in detail what training members of the buying center have had and how they keep up with the developments in their industry.

 2.

I try carefully to gauge the influence of a specific person in the buying process.

 3.

I try to get gauge to what extent customers act as professionals.

 4.

I always ask how people in the buying center really perceive us.