A B S T R A C T Objective:The objective of this paper is to evaluate how companies use the relationship capital when initiating the internationalisation process and how the development of a business network affects this process. Research Design & Methods: The paper presents a comparative analysis of case studies of seven companies based in Poland and operating in foreign markets. This set of primary data and a comprehensive literature review served as a stimulus for the development of a typology of relationship capital mediating agents. Findings: The cornerstone of the article is the assumption that in order to accelerate internationalisation, entities trying to enter foreign markets have to "borrow" relationship capital from one or more of several mediating agents. The article identifies these agents and outlines the role of different types of relationships during the market entry phase. Implications & Recommendations:The article proposes a typology of relationship capital mediating agents such as: foreign and domestic intermediaries, individual insiders, own international and corporate network, own network expansion, and corporate or personal referrals. It also outlines the limited role of social relationships in concluding a successful market entry, placing them as one of the possible, but not necessary, options.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the role of a company’s external informal relationships in the internationalization process. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the aim of this paper, a qualitative research was undertaken. The data used for analysis were obtained through face-to-face interviews with representatives of 20 companies. Findings There are two main findings of the research. First, on the basis of the analysis of the interviews, it was possible to identify 14 different outcomes of informal relationships with external actors in the internationalization process. Second, the outcomes have been assigned to different stages of the internationalization process, thereby covering the whole range of a company’s development timeline. Originality/value This paper illustrates and confirms the important and positive role of the informal relationships developed by a company with external actors in the internationalization process and indicates that it can change over time depending on the stage of the internationalization.

The aim of this article is to build a theoretical framework for the concept of corporate relationship management maturity. The main research method applied in this paper is an extensive literature review combined with an analysis of case studies. The article is conceptual in nature and offers a synthesis of the research material in the form of a model of corporate relationship management maturity. The proposed model can be a useful tool in separating truly relationship-oriented companies from those that are only declaratively relationship-oriented while in reality they continue to pursue a transactional approach in disguise. This brings order to the conceptual apparatus of the so-called resource-based view (RBV). It was concluded that the relationship assets that emerge in the process of multilateral dialogue between external and internal partners meet the criteria of core assets. The nature of this process sheds new light on the issue of growth in the context of the RBV. The presented conclusions can be of help to subsequent theoretical and empirical research.

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Motivation: Relationship management (RM) has been capturing the interest of scholars and practitioners since this term was first brought to light by L. L. Berry and T. Levitt in 1983. Numerous publications and billion-dollar software industry validate its vitality, but plethora of relationship oriented practices and isolated models spread it to thin. Therefore there is a need to synthesize the existing body of knowledge. Aim: This article presents discussion on conventional RM theory merging it with the other complementary concepts: resource based view (RBV), human resources management (HRM), knowledge management (KM), customer relationship management (CRM), corporate social responsibility (CSR). Its main aim is to discuss the integrated relationship management framework-a step towards a RM grand theory. Results: The main contribution of this paper is the adumbration of relationship management integrated framework, which links the maturity of corporate RM with proficiency in three interrelated dimensions: strategy / business model, the information technology and organizational change management.