Bogazici Journal, vol.26, no.1, pp.81-101, 2012 (Scopus)
The purpose of this study is to explore relationship marketing in international B2B markets, with a specific focus on the impact of communication, cultural sensitivity, and shared values on relational exchange elements of commitment, trust, and export performance. The context of the study is chosen as Turkey since the number of studies on international relationship marketing in emerging market contexts needs to be increased. The model is tested upon 214 export market cases using structural equations modeling, and the findings confirm the relationships among the variables when the exporters originated from Turkey. The findings show that relationship marketing is a driver of business success and highlight the importance of cultural sensitivity as a significant driver of communication, trust, and commitment. The results imply that distributors should be sensitive to ways of doing business in Turkey and create common frames of reference with the Turkish exporters to inspire communication, trust, and commitment, all directly related to the market performance.