The first IMP Group research project was developed on the basis of empirical observations which did not fit into the mainstream economic theories’ assumption about an atomistic market: Industrial marketing and purchasing appeared to take place within stable, long-term business relationships. But why do companies develop these interdependencies? What benefits could outweigh the drawbacks of being dependent on others? These and other related research questions have triggered a large number of empirical studies over the past three decades of the “doing of business”, carried out by increasing numbers of researchers. These scholars have investigated a wide variety of interactions between individual companies and organisations as well as the wider network that surrounds them. These empirical studies, including issues such as marketing, purchasing, technological development, management, logistics, business communities and policy all challenge mainstream business theory and call for theoretical tools that allow investigations of the interactive aspects of the business landscape.〔(About the IMP Group ), at ''impgroup.org,'' 2000-2010. Accessed 29.01.2015.〕