Satisfaction
with Channel Communication Strategies
in High vs. Low Context Cultures
Trina Larsen
Bert Rosenbloom
Brent Smith
ABSTRACT. Today’s vertically linked international marketing chan-
nel networks require effective cross-cultural communications processes.
If the channel partners are to cooperate successfully they need to under-
stand each other in spite of the potential noise that may occur in the chan-
nel across cultures. This study examines channel communications
between U.S. exporters and their channel partners from countries in high
and low context cultures. It was found that culture is related to certain di-
mensions of channel communication, while for others no relationship
was found. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document
Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <getinfo@haworthpressinc.
com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press,
Inc. All rights reserved.]
KEYWORDS. Channel communication, cultural context, high and low
context culture, marketing channels
As global competition has increased, there has been renewed interest
in the effect of culture on marketing strategy (Aggarwal 1995; Black
and Porter 1991; Bigoness and Blakely 1996; Dyer and Song 1997).
Trina Larsen is Associate Professor of Marketing at Drexel University, Philadel-
phia, PA, Bert Rosenbloom is Professor of Marketing and Rauth Chair of Electronic
Commerce Management at Drexel University, and Brent Smith is PhD candidate at
Drexel University.
Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, Vol. 9(1) 2002
2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 1