Effects of relationship benefits and relationship proneness on relationship outcomes: a three-country comparison

Relationship marketing is not equally effective in every country; this study investigates the potential moderating effects of individualism, long-term orientation (LTO), and consumer relationship proneness (CRP) on the links of relationship benefits with relational satisfaction, trust, and relationship commitment in a retail context. Multigroup analyses of a sample of 502 graduate students from the USA, France, and China revealed that consumers significantly differ in their perceptions of relational benefits, relationship proneness, trust, relational satisfaction, and commitment. Moreover, positive relationships of relational benefits with trust, relational satisfaction, and commitment are moderated by CRP and cultural factors (individualism and LTO). Therefore, personality traits and national culture both exert important influences on consumer attitudes toward relationship benefits and retail relationships. Both factors accordingly should be taken into consideration in segmentation decisions and when developing international marketing strategies. Managerial implications are discussed.