The relqual scale: a measure of relationship quality in export market ventures

In this article the authors develop a new measurement scale (the RELQUAL scale) to assess the degree of relationship quality between the exporting firm and the importer. Relationship quality is presented as a high order concept. Findings reveal that a better quality of the relationship results in a greater 1) amount of information sharing, 2) communication quality, 3) long-term orientation, as well as 4) satisfaction with the relationship. The four multi-item scales show strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity in a sample of British exporters. Findings also reveal that relationship quality is positively and significantly associated with export performance. Suggestions for applying the measure in future research are presented.