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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

cultural barriers, trust, agribusiness, cultural differences, trading relationships

College

Marriott School of Management

Department

Management

Abstract

Recognized cultural differences between nations influence the level of trust that one nation has for another. Trust has long been recognized as an important element in trading relationships between nations, businesses, and individuals. Trust is especially important in trading relationships involving food for reasons such as health concerns, regional and/or national taste issues, national security, and infrastructure differences. This study draws on the differences in Hofstede’s (2001) cultural dimensions between Austria and the Ukraine in order to develop hypotheses with respect to the amount of trust that Austrians have toward Ukrainian food imports. Primary survey data was gathered in Austria during summer of 2007 in order to test these hypotheses. Secondary sources on trust and its developmental processes have also been examined in order to supplement the hypotheses and the analysis of the findings. The intended contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that some of the effects of cultural differences on food trading relationships can be anticipated as nations expand their networks of trading partners. Most importantly, it is hoped that policy makers and managers will be able to utilize these findings to better facilitate trade between nations with significant cultural differences.

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