The purpose of this paper is to explain the impact of relationship capital (trust and commitment) and the exchange climate
(communication, conflict resolution and cooperation) on performance satisfaction in the context of buyer–supplier relationships. The study also
examines the influence of national culture on the proposed relationships.
Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model and accompanying research hypotheses are tested on data from a survey of 169 US and
110 Brazilian buyers. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 18.0) is used to test the hypotheses.
Results suggest that performance satisfaction is highly dependent on the level of relationship capital and climate of information
exchange between buyer and supplier. Quality communication and conflict resolution have the greatest impact on performance satisfaction while
trust’s influence is both direct and mediated by the exchange climate.