Get off to a good start. International Relationship Marketing in emerging markets.

The growing importance of emerging markets requires us to understand how to create and manage good relationships with all stakeholders in these specific contexts. Within the framework of International Relationship Marketing, this research aims to verify the importance of trust, commitment and cultural orientation in the early stages of relationships within emerging markets.This research conducted in a high-value product industry, and involving different stakeholders of its network, contributed to apply the International Relationship Marketing framework within a new context, reinforcing the importance of trust, commitment and cultural orientation in the early stage of relationships within emerging markets. Firstly, findings highlighted the kind of subjects companies work with when they enter in a new market: while dyadic market relationships are immediately searched and considered strategic, lateral partnerships, that theoretically could help in these kind of transitions, are surprisingly not a priority for companies in these samples. Despite IRM theories stressed the importance of having a structured network orientation as powerful tool to gain success in distant markets, empirical results showed that companies initially act with traditional decision making processes and are not fully prepared to face those complex new environments.