In this paper we argue that organizational culture is an important factor influencing relationship skills, defined as a firm’s ability and behavioral tendency to actively cultivate and manage its ties with other firms. Testing our model on a sample of 102 inter-firm relations, we find that firms with organizational cultures characterized by an orientation towards stability and predictability, a positive orientation towards innovation, and not characterized by a strong focus on immediate results, score high on relationship skills. Relationship skills, in turn, positively affect the perceived relationship performance.
Anand, Bharat , and Tarun Khanna2000‘Do firms learn to create value? The case of alliances’ . Strategic Management Journal21: 295-315 .
2.
Anderson, Erin , and Barton E. Weitz1989‘Determinants of continuity in conventional industrial channel dyads’ . Marketing Science8: 310-323 .
3.
Ashkanasy, Neil M. , Lyndelle E. Broadfoot , and Sarah Falkus2000‘Questionnaire measures of organizational culture’ in Handbook of organizational culture and climate. Neil M. Ashkanasy , Celeste P. M. Wilderom , and Mark F. Peterson (eds), 131-145. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage .
4.
Barley, Stephen R.1983‘Semiotics and the study of occupational and organizational cultures’ . Administrative Science Quarterly28: 393-413 .
5.
Barney, Jay B.1986‘Organizational culture: Can it be a source of competitive advantage?’Academy of Management Review11: 656-665 .
6.
Barney, Jay B.1991‘Firm resources and competitive advantage’ . Journal of Management17: 99-120 .
7.
Barney, Jay B.1995‘Looking inside for competitive advantage’ . Academy of Management Executive9: 49-61 .
8.
Block, Jack1978The Q-sort method in personality assessment and psychiatric research. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press .
9.
Bloor, Geoffrey , and Patrick Dawson1994‘Understanding professional culture in organizational context’ . Organization Studies15: 275-295 .
Bucklin, Louis P. , and Sanjit Sengupta1993‘Organizing successful co-marketing alliances’ . Journal of Marketing57: 32-46 .
12.
Butler, John K.1991‘Towards understanding and measuring conditions of trust: Evolution of a conditions of trust inventory’ . Journal of Management17: 643-663 .
13.
Calori, Roland , and Philippe Sarnin1991‘Corporate culture and economic performance: A French study’ . Organization Studies12: 49-74 .
14.
Christensen, Edward W. , and George G. Gordon1999‘An exploration of industry, culture and revenue growth’ . Organization Studies20: 397-422 .
15.
Crosby, Lawrence , Kenneth R. Evans , and Deborah Cowles1990‘Relationship quality in services selling: An interpersonal influence perspective’ . Journal of Marketing54: 68-81 .
16.
Das, T. K. , and Bing-Sheng Teng1999‘Managing risks in strategic alliances’ . Academy of Management Executive13: 50-62 .
17.
Denison, Daniel R.1984‘Bringing corporate culture to the bottom line’ . Organizational Dynamics13: 4-22 .
18.
Denison, Daniel R.1996‘What is the difference between organizational culture and organizational climate? A native’s point of view on a decade of paradigm wars’ . Academy of Management Review21: 619-654 .
19.
Detert, James R. , Roger G. Schroeder , and John J. Mauriel2000‘A framework for linking culture and improvement initiatives in organizations’ . Academy of Management Review25: 850-863 .
20.
Douma, Mark U. , Jan Bilderbeek , Peter J. Idenburg , and Jan K. Looise2000‘Strategic alliances: Managing the dynamics of fit’ . Long Range Planning33: 579-598 .
21.
Draulans, Johan , Ard-Pieter de Man , and Henk W. Volberda2003‘Building alliance capability: Management techniques for superior alliance performance’ . Long Range Planning36: 151-166 .
22.
Dwyer, Robert F. , Paul H. Schurr , and Sejo Oh1987‘Developing buyer-seller relationships’ . Journal of Marketing51/2: 11-27 .
23.
Dyer, Jeffery H. , and Harbir Singh1998‘The relational view: Cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage’ . Academy of Management Review23: 660-679 .
24.
Frazier, Gary L.1983‘On the measurement of inter-firm power in channels of distribution’ . Journal of Marketing Research20: 158-166 .
25.
Gambetta, Diego editor 1988Trust: Making and breaking cooperative relations. Oxford: Blackwell .
26.
Ganesan, Shankar1994‘Determinants of long term orientation in buyer-seller relationships’ . Journal of Marketing58/2: 1-19 .
27.
Gemünden, Hans G. , Thomas Ritter , and Peter Heydebreck1996‘Network configuration and innovation success: An empirical analysis in German high-tech industries’ . International Journal of Research in Marketing13: 449-462 .
28.
Gordon, George1991‘Industry determinants of organizational culture’ . Academy of Management Review16: 396-415 .
29.
Greene, William H.2003Econometric analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall .
30.
Gregory, Kathleen L.1983‘Native-view paradigms: Multiple cultures and culture conflicts in organizations’ . Administrative Science Quarterly28: 359-376 .
31.
Gulati, Ranjay , and Martin Gargiulo1999‘Where do interorganizational networks come from?’American Journal of Sociology104: 1439-1493 .
32.
Hagedoorn, John1993‘Understanding the rationale of strategic technology partnering: Interorganizational modes of cooperation and sectoral differences’ . Strategic Management Journal14: 371-385 .
33.
Heide, Jan B. , and Anne S. Miner1992‘The shadow of the future: Effects of anticipated interaction and frequency of contact on buyer-seller cooperation’ . Academy of Management Journal35: 265-291 .
34.
Hitt, Michael , Tina M. Dacin , Edward Levitas , Jean-Luc Arregle , and Anca Borza2000‘Partner selection in emerging and developed market context: Resource-based and organizational learning perspective’ . Academy of Management Journal43: 449-467 .
35.
Hoffmann, Werner H. , and Roman Schlosser2001‘Success factors of strategic alliances in small- and medium-sized enterprises: An empirical survey’ . Long Range Planning34: 357-381 .
36.
Hofstede, Geert2001Culture’s consequences; Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations, 2nd edn.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage .
37.
Hofstede, Geert , Bram Neuijen , Denise D. Ohayv , and Geert Sanders1990‘Measuring organizational cultures: A qualitative and quantitative study across twenty cases’ . Administrative Science Quarterly35: 286-316 .
Hsiao, C.1986Analysis of panel data. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
40.
Jap, Sandy D. , and Shankar Ganesan2000‘Control mechanisms and the relationship life cycle: Implications for safeguarding specific investments and developing commitment’ . Journal of Marketing Research37/2: 227-245 .
41.
Johnson, Michael D. , and Fred Selnes2004‘Customer portfolio management: Toward a dynamic theory of exchange relationships’ . Journal of Marketing68: 1-17 .
42.
Johnson, Jean L. , and Ravipreet S. Sohi2001‘The influence of firm predispositions on inter-firm relationships formation in business markets’ . International Journal of Research in Marketing18: 299-318 .
43.
Johnson, Sean L. , John B. Cullen , Tomoaki Sakano , and Hideyuki Takenouchi1996‘Setting the stage for trust and strategic integration in Japanese-U.S. cooperative alliances’ . Journal of International Business Studies27: 981-1004 .
44.
Kale, Prashant , Jeffrey H. Dyer , and Harbir Singh2002‘Alliance capability, stock market response, and long-term alliance success: The role of the alliance function’ . Strategic Management Journal23: 747-767 .
45.
Katz, Daniel , and Robert L. Kahn1978The social psychology of organizations. New York: Wiley .
46.
Kotabe, Masaaki , Xavier Martin , and Hiroshi Domoto2003‘Gaining from vertical partnerships: Knowledge transfers, relationship duration, and supplier performance improvement in the US and Japanese automotive industries’ . Strategic Management Journal24: 293-316 .
47.
Kramer, Roderick M. , and Tom R. Tyler1996‘Whither trust?’ in Trust in organizations: Frontiers of theory and research. R. M. Kramer and T. R. Tyler (eds), 1-5. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage .
48.
Kumar, Nirmalya , Louis W. Stern , and Ravi S. Achrol1992‘Assessing reseller performance from the perspective of the supplier’ . Journal of Marketing Research29: 238-253 .
49.
LaBahn, Douglas W. , and Katrin R. Harich1997‘Sensitivity to national business culture: Effects on US-Mexican channel relationship performance’ . Journal of International Marketing5: 29-51 .
50.
Lambe, C. Jay , Robert E. Spekman , and Shelby D. Hunt2002‘Alliance competence, resources, and alliance success: Conceptualisation, measurement, and intial test’ . Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science30: 141-158 .
51.
Leonard-Barton, Dorothy1992‘Core capabilities and core rigidities: A paradox in managing new product development’ . Strategic Management Journal,Summer Special Issue 13: 111-125 .
52.
Lorenzoni, Gianni , and Andrea Lipparini1999‘The leveraging of inter-firm relationships as a distinctive organizational capability: A longitudinal study’ . Strategic Management Journal20: 317-338 .
53.
Martin, Xavier , Anand Swaminathan , and Will Mitchell1998‘Organizational evolution in the interorganizational environment: Incentives and constraints on international expansion strategy’ . Administrative Science Quarterly43: 566-601 .
54.
Medcof, John W.1997‘Why too many alliances end in divorce’ . Long Range Planning30: 718-732 .
55.
Mohr, Jakki , and Robert Spekman1994‘Characteristics of partnership success: Partnership attributes, communication behavior and conflict resolution techniques’ . Strategic Management Journal15: 135-152 .
56.
Morgan, Robert M. , and Shelby D. Hunt1994‘The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing’ . Journal of Marketing58: 20-38 .
57.
Noordewier, Thomas , George John , and John R. Nevin1990‘Performance outcomes of purchasing arrangements in industrial buyer-vendor relationships’ . Journal of Marketing54: 80-93 .
58.
O’Reilly, Charles A. , Jennifer Chatman , and David F. Caldwell1991‘People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit’ . Academy of Management Journal34: 487-516 .
59.
Peteraf, Margaret. A.1993‘The cornerstones of competitive advantage: A resource-based view’ . Strategic Management Journal14: 179-191 .
60.
Ping, Robert A.1997‘Voice in business-to-business relationships: Cost-of-exit and demographic antecedents’ . Journal of Retailing73: 261-281 .
61.
Powell, Walter1990‘Neither market nor hierarchy’ . Research in Organizational Behavior12: 295-336 .
62.
Ring, Peter S. , and Andrew H. Van de Ven1992‘Structuring cooperative relationships between organizations’ . Strategic Management Journal13: 483-498 .
63.
Ring, Peter S. , and Andrew H. Van de Ven1994‘Developmental processes of cooperative interorganizational relationships’ . Academy of Management Review19: 90-118 .
64.
Ritter, Thomas1999‘The networking company. Antecedents for coping with relationships and networks effectively’ . Industrial Marketing Management28: 467-479 .
65.
Rousseau, Denise M.1990‘Assessing organizational culture: The case for multiple methods’ in Organizational climate and culture. B. Schneider (ed.), 153-192. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass .
66.
Sarkar, M. B. , Raj Echambadi , S. Tamer Cavusgil and Preet S. Aulakh2001‘The influence of complementarity, compatibility, and relationship capital on alliance performance’ . Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science29: 358-373 .
67.
Saxton, Todd1997‘The effects of partner and relationship characteristics on alliance outcomes’ . Academy of Management Journal40: 443-461 .
68.
Schein, Edgar H.1986/ Organizational culture and 1992 leadership. San Francisco and London: Jossey-Bass .
69.
Selnes, Fred , and James Sallis2003‘Promoting relationship learning’ . Journal of Marketing67: 80-95 .
70.
Smircich, Linda1983‘Concepts of culture and organizational analysis’ . Administrative Science Quarterly28: 339-358 .
71.
Uzzi, Brian1996‘The sources and consequences of embeddedness for the economic performance of organizations: the network effect’ . American Sociological Review61: 674-698
72.
Uzzi, Brian1997‘Social structure and competition in inter-firm networks: The paradox of embeddedness’ . Administrative Science Quarterly42: 35-67 .
73.
Verbeke, Alain2000‘A revision of Hofstede et al. (1990) organizational practices scale’ . Journal of Organizational Behavior21: 587-602 .
Wernerfelt, B.1984‘A resource-based view of the firm’ . Strategic Management Journal5: 171-180 .
76.
Wren, Brent M. , and James T. Simpson1996‘A dyadic model of relationships in organizational buying: A synthesis of research results’ . Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing11: 63-74 .
77.
Xenikou, Athena , and Adrian Furnham1996‘A correlational and factor analytic study of four questionnaire measures of organizational culture’ . Human Relations49: 349-372 .
