Abstract
In this paper, we focus on the relations involving cultural sensitivity, relational competence, customer trust and workers’ relational effectiveness in a Multinational offshore service provider – IBM Brazil. We adapt buyer-seller relationship theory into the context of strategic people management and link the constructs of interest with employees as units of analysis. By analyzing data of 57 workers, we find positive relations involving the constructs under study and infer that workers who have high degrees of relational competence may add and sustain value to their firms. We address theoretical and managerial implications and discuss the study’s limitations and opportunities.
