Abstract

Amos Gyau and Achim Spiller

In this paper, a model for buyer-seller relationships between Ghanaian fresh fruit and vegetable exporters and their buyers in Europe is provided. Organizational culture is brought into the limelight as an important dimension in the study of buyer-seller relationships in agribusinesses. Based on interviews with 101 managers of fresh fruit and vegetable export firms, the study revealed that certain organizational cultural dimensions (communication and team orientations) influence the firm’s relationship skills which in turn influence relationship quality. It is concluded that export firms can improve their relationships with their buyers if they look inward and evaluate certain aspects of their own internal organizational practices.