Use of Partner Relationship (PRM) Systems in International Sales Development

Resumo

Purpose – This study examines how Partner Relationship Management (PRM) systems support SME international sales development through third-party sales agents, and how cultural distance moderates these effects. Design/methodology – A qualitative case study was conducted on Inventure Group, comprising M&O Partners, Belga Marine, and the GAIA Global PRM platform. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews across four informant groups—leadership, sales and operations, developers, and suppliers—and analyzed via a deductive content-analysis framework. Findings – GAIA Global addresses agency problems by shifting communication from oneway reporting to a shared workspace, reducing information asymmetry, making effort observable, and raising the cost of passive opportunism. These mechanisms are bounded by data quality, adoption discipline, and cultural distance. Trust originates in conversation and is reinforced by the platform. PRM functions as a governance mechanism that changes the information environment rather than substituting for contracts; asymmetry shifts from access to quality rather than disappearing. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a single case, with a dataset not yet large enough to link documented activity to commercial performance. Practical implications – PRM offers governance value that CRM does not, generated only when both parties adapt to platform use. Social implications – Beyond the firms studied, digital governance infrastructure can lower structural barriers to SME internationalization, letting smaller firms compete abroad on more equal terms. Cultural distance remains relevant despite digital tools, so platform-mediated governance complements rather than replaces human relationships in cross-cultural business. Originality – The study offers an agency-theoretic, governance-based perspective on PRM platforms in SME internationalization, an underexplored context.

Ficha do documento

Tipo

Dissertação

Ano

2026

Instituição

Fundação Getulio Vargas

Fonte

Repositório da FGV

Idioma

Inglês

Acesso

Acesso aberto

Identificador

oai:repositorio.fgv.br:10438/40379

Temas

TecnologiaGovernança

Palavras-chave

Partner Relationship ManagementSME internationalizationAgency theoryCultural distanceInternacionalização de PMEsTeoria da agênciaDistância culturalCanais de vendas internacionaisInternational sales channelsAdministraçãoPlataformas digitaisPequenas e médias empresasGovernançaMarketing de exportação