Modeling the Impact of Commitment–Trust on Cooperation and Performance: The Specific Case of Exporter and Intermediaries Relationships

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the impact of commitment–trust on both exporter–Intermediary cooperation and performance. It presents the original perspective of looking at a relational approach to exporter–Intermediary relationships within a specific cultural context. This study offers a quantitative approach based on a sample of Portuguese exporters. Results did not indicate a direct impact of commitment on cooperation though this relation is strongly mediated by trust. Additionally, it was found that trust has a significant and positive impact on cooperation and that cooperation has a significant and positive impact on export performance.