Are cultural differences overrated? Examining the influence of national culture on international buyer‐seller relationships

Abstract

The notion that differences in national culture influence international buyer-seller relationships (and, indeed, all aspects of international management) is not only held as true but also axiomatic. This study questions the degree to which cultural differences impact upon buyer-seller relations for seven key dimensions using Hofstede's indices of culture. Via two stages of data collection using two methodological approaches (seven interviews and 322 useable responses from a mail survey), the impact of culture on international buyer-seller relationships was examined. The study's findings identified little evidence to support the popular idea that culture exerts a significant influence on international business relationships. Instead, the findings suggest that some managers perceived factors such as communication/language barriers, political barriers, geographic distance, economic factors, industry barriers, time differences, technology barriers, legal differences and infrastructure barriers as being more likely to have a greater impact on cross-national relationships.

Logistics outsourcing performance and loyalty behavior

“…We will, therefore, draw upon different cross-cultural studies that have researched the cultural values, norms, routines, and customs in the two countries as proxies for national culture (Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1960;Hall, 1976;Hofstede, 1980;Goodenough, 1981;D'Andrade, 1984;Hall and Hall, 1990;McCort and Malhotra, 1993;Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997;Hofstede, 2001). The applicability of Hofstede's framework to the context of buyer-seller relationships has been confirmed by a number of authors (Pressey and Selassie, 2003) and if used with caution and reasoning, cultural theory and anent studies can provide a useful basis for the explanation of distinctions found in different cultural contexts.…”

Effects of national culture on human failures in container shipping: The moderating role of Confucian dynamism

“…An uncertainty avoidance culture suggests that individuals express a preference for long-term predictability of rules, work arrangements, relationships, and avoidance of risk taking, and that they expend more effort on planning to reduce uncertainty (Hofstede, 1984;Pressey and Selassie, 2006). Newman and Nollen (1996) The ship is a closed society.…”

Introduction to ISSWOV Special Section

“…For example, Pressey and Selasie (2003) did not find a significant effect for national culture on international buyerseller relationships. They also cite a number of studies that report similar trends.…”