This paper addresses the possible influence of cultural differences on satisfaction in crossnational buyer-seller relationships. Building and maintaining buyer-seller relationships have for long been acknowledged as beneficial for conducting international business. A prerequisite for the success of such business relationships is the satisfaction of the parties involved. However, in international business the involved parties are usually embedded in different cultures, which in turn may influence both expectations and behavior and thereby the satisfaction with business relationships. In spite of this knowledge, the potential impact of cultural differences on satisfaction in buyer-seller relationships has received little attention.Here we present a study on business relationships between Russian buyers and Norwegian sellers of seafood. A dyadic approach is used to cover both parties in the relationship, because they may perceive and emphasize aspects of their relationship differently. The findings reveal congruence between the partners in terms of antecedents important for achieving satisfaction.However, several differences are found regarding how to achieve various antecedents. There are also differences between how the Russian partners describe their own actions, and how the Norwegian partners perceive these actions. These differences are explained by cultural differences. Implications are highlighted.

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During the past decade Russia has imposed import restrictions on different types of food and plant products from a vast number of countries, claiming to be acting on food safety scandals as the primary reason. However, most observers interpret these measures as acts of protectionism. In this article the Russian import restrictions on Norwegian fish products are presented as the main case in a discussion of the rationale behind the measures. Our main finding is that, although the measures are trade barriers that lack transparency and documentation related to the alleged food safety risks, the traditional protectionist rationale, i.e. restricting imported volumes to prevent competition, does not seem to be the driving force behind the restrictions. Instead, we argue that food trade is regulated in order to regain governmental control over economic transactions and economic actors. Russian authorities have been very careful not to disturb the overall supply of seafood to Russia when implementing new import regulations. Also, import volumes of food to the Russian market in general have been increasing. This is linked to the fact that Russia is highly import-dependent and unable to replace imports. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings with regard to future market access to the Russian food market, including the potential for Russia's adaptation to relevant World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements.

This article discusses how the transition from a planned towards a market-based economy has affected the Russian fishing industry. It is based on a series of studies of the Northwest Russian fishing industry, where evidence from its past role and functioning is contrasted with the current situation. The conceptual perspective drawn on is institutional theory, with a focus on higher-order institutions. One of the main findings is that the fishing companies stand out as the only surviving party in the game. The losers are the land-based fish processing industry, the mother ship and transport fleet, and the support structures, which depend on the activities generated by the prime production (fishing). It is argued that the new institutional arrangements necessarily force a new adaptation among the fishing companies, and suggested that some of the changes of the higher-order institutions have been less successful than initially assumed, as there still are several adverse elements in the Russian institutional arrangements that hinder further transition toward a marketbased economy.