A conceptual model and study of cross-cultural business relationships

Business-to-business marketing relationships have taken on a variety of names, ranging from long-term relationships, buyer-seller-partnerships, strategic alliances, joint ventures, network organizations, to fully integrated hierarchical firms, cross-marketing agreements, etc. (Oliver, 1990, Gross and Neuman, 1989; Webster, 1992). Despite the plethora of terms used to describe business relationships, we know little about what determines a successful business relationship. This article develops a conceptual model of cross-cultural business relationships. An exploratory study was conducted to examine the impact of social and structural bonding as determinants of business relationship performance. The study found that knowledge of cultural orientation and its relationship to the social and structural bond that exists between partners is a key predictor of long-term commitment in cross-national business relationships.