Analyzing business-to-business relationships in an Arab context

With a population in excess of 370 million, the Arab nations constitute a significant and growing region of the world. In an attempt to broaden our understanding of the business culture in this region, this study develops and tests a measurement scale to examine social networks in an Arab context (Wasta). Three relational constructs: Mojamala, Hamola and Somah are used to capture Wasta and examine their influence on relationship satisfaction and performance. The study has managerial implications for Western firms doing business in an Arab context, offers academics with a scale for further investigation and provides directions for future research.