Aracılığın Arap uluslararası iş ilişkileri bağlamında öncülleri ve sonuçları

Arab markets continue to rely on Wasta as a prominent social-based business model to resolve conflicts and gain access to information and resources due to formal institutional voids in their respective countries. Yet, the conceptualization and examination of Wasta in the international business literature is still at its nascent stage. This dissertation aims to elaborate on the utilization of Wasta in the international business context in line with the formal and informal institutional differences between the (Arab) host and foreign countries. The study further examines the potential outcomes of Wasta dimensions on the relational capital and consequently on the relationship performance. Data were collected from 209 Arab importers across 16 Arab countries using self-administered questionnaires, structured equation modeling was used to examine the proposed research model. Findings reveal that the presence of more favorable political stability and regulatory quality in the importer's (host) country relative to the exporter's country has a negative impact on the utilization of Wasta through its dimensions (Mojamala and Hamola, and Somah respectively). Meanwhile, the presence of higher levels of uncertainty avoidance and individualism in the host country strengthens the utilization of Wasta through Somah only. Moreover, findings showed that relational capital is significantly improved through Mojamala and Hamola, which subsequently improves the relationship performance. This study presents researchers with deeper insights into the antecedents and outcomes of Wasta on a dimensional level, filling notable voids in the literature while also helping foreign businesses to better comprehend the utilization of Wasta under varying institutional differences. Keywords: Wasta, Culture-Specific Relationships, Institutions, Relational Capital, International Business Performance.