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The importance of cultural adaptation for the trust development within business relationships

The importance of cultural adaptation for the trust development within business relationships Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal how trust develops between partner firms in the context of intercultural business relationships and how understanding of the business culture of a partner firm and adaptation to it can be a driving force for the beginning and maintaining of trust development with that partner.Designmethodologyapproach The study is of a qualitative nature and employs elite interviewing methodology for the aims of data collection. The analysis is conducted through theoreticallyinformed reading of interviews.Findings Managers constantly learn the business culture of the partner through interactions. Adaptation based on the acquired business culture knowledge is found to be as important for the development of trust between business relationships' parties. A moderate level of cultural adaptation is identified as most favourable for this development. Additionally, a categorization of cultural adaptation within business relationships is proposed.Research limitationsimplications The insufficient number of personal interviews within a specific industrial context does not allow a generalisation of the study outcomes.Originalityvalue Research which addresses the importance of cultural adaptation for trust development within business relationships, is scarce. This study attempts to fill in this gap. Furthermore, it shows the need to consider business culture, rather than national culture, while studying business relationships. Finally, the study provides interesting avenues for further research. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing Emerald Publishing

The importance of cultural adaptation for the trust development within business relationships

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References (74)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0885-8624
DOI
10.1108/08858621311302868
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal how trust develops between partner firms in the context of intercultural business relationships and how understanding of the business culture of a partner firm and adaptation to it can be a driving force for the beginning and maintaining of trust development with that partner.Designmethodologyapproach The study is of a qualitative nature and employs elite interviewing methodology for the aims of data collection. The analysis is conducted through theoreticallyinformed reading of interviews.Findings Managers constantly learn the business culture of the partner through interactions. Adaptation based on the acquired business culture knowledge is found to be as important for the development of trust between business relationships' parties. A moderate level of cultural adaptation is identified as most favourable for this development. Additionally, a categorization of cultural adaptation within business relationships is proposed.Research limitationsimplications The insufficient number of personal interviews within a specific industrial context does not allow a generalisation of the study outcomes.Originalityvalue Research which addresses the importance of cultural adaptation for trust development within business relationships, is scarce. This study attempts to fill in this gap. Furthermore, it shows the need to consider business culture, rather than national culture, while studying business relationships. Finally, the study provides interesting avenues for further research.

Journal

Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 15, 2013

Keywords: Russia; Finland; Business development; Trust; Partnership; Organizational culture; Trust development; Cultural learning; Adaptation; Finnish‐Russian business relationships

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