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Title

The Impact of National Culture on the Role of Communication in B2B Relationships

Author

Sandra Simas Graca, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Advisor

James M Barry

Committee Member

Suri Weisfeld-Spolter

Committee Member

Dena Hale

Abstract

Forming and fostering B2B relationships are increasingly requiring communication between individuals in the opposite spectrum of culture dimensions such as individualism. Thus, establishing trusted and committed global partnerships involve designing communication processes that minimize differences and promote goal congruence. The behavior of business customers, in a global context, is an understudied field deserving greater attention in marketing research. This study unveils a universal and parsimonious model, highlighting the role of communication in shaping relationship quality, and including national culture as moderator.

The study was conducted on a sample of managers and buyers from the USA (n=169) and Brazil (n=110). Factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied in order to validate the instrument, discover the relevant dimensions of communication and examine the relationships in the model. Four significant factors revealed the existence of a globally relevant, parsimonious and highly explanatory communication model that includes elements of quality, interaction, mutuality, and socialization. In addition, elements of social and functional relationship benefits are found to improve the quality of business relationships more than any other factor in the global model.

In addition, culture was found to play a significant role on the intensity that most predictors have on increasing or decreasing buyer's trust in and satisfaction with the supplier. As a result, the model can aid both researchers and practitioners in understanding the important elements of communication and relationship benefits for buyers in the global marketplace.

NSUWorks Citation

Sandra Simas Graca. 2013. The Impact of National Culture on the Role of Communication in B2B Relationships. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. (37)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hsbe_etd/37.