Internationalization of Product-Related Services: The Role of Relationship Marketing

Practitioners in B2B markets often view relationships as the decisive variable when asking them about drivers of the international performance of product-related services. However, evidence regarding the positive impact of relationships and relationship marketing remains mainly anecdotal. Most studies analyzing drivers of international performance focus on manufacturing firms. Studies that explicitly account for services only address services in general, rather than providing any detailed insights into product-related industrial services.

This article aims to close this research gap. Based on an empirical study using the PLS approach, the authors analyze the impact of relationship marketing activities and trust on the international performance of product-associated services. The results show that relationship management is a critical driver of the international performance of productrelated services, though its importance in an international context may be overrated. Instead, the most important driver of international performance proved to be a firm’s commitment to an export venture.