Cultural bridges in Business: Critical review and future directions in cross-cultural B2B relationships

Abstract

With the coming of age of business‐to‐business (B2B) marketing in the last three decades, the influence of culture on cross-cultural B2B relationships has received considerable attention in the academic literature in recent years. Despite the efforts, the research domain suffers from theoretical limitations, fragmented efforts, and practical concerns, which need attention. This article aims to consolidate the existing knowledge by unpacking the evolution of this research domain over time and to provide grounds for future research. Using the theory, context, characteristics, and methods (TCCM framework), we conduct a systematic literature review of 74 relevant articles published between 1993–2024 and critically evaluate the progression of research in this domain. We contribute to the existing pool of knowledge by investigating the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methods used in existing cross-cultural B2B research and offer concrete suggestions for upcoming research in the domain. Further, we also advance a conceptual framework that provides a comprehensive understanding of the key mediators, moderators, and outcomes of B2B relationships in a cross-cultural context, thus providing key avenues for future research.