Is there a third factor that is responsible for some or all of the relationship we see between two other factors?
In a mediation analysis, we examine whether a third variable, known as a mediator, explains the relationship between two other variables. In the research described in our Mediator summary, mediation analysis found that three variables exerted both a direct and indirect influence on the length of a buying cycle. In particular, adding one vendor to an evaluation list above the average of four added 14.67 days to a buying process directly, but also added days to the cycle through two mediators – the number of buying group members and the number of interactions each buying group member has.
In this case, adding one vendor adds 31 days to the buying cycle through the indirect effect of adding more interactions per buying group members. And it adds 27 days through the size of the buying group.
Adding one vendor to the evaluation list is really responsible for adding 66 total days to a buying cycle, but most of that 66 days is mediated by two indirect factors.
Another way to think of it in this example is this: It is possible that some companies add a vendor to the evaluation but do not increase the size of the buying team or undertake any additional interactions. In that case, we would expect to see just eight days added to that buying cycle.
