International experience and perceived success factors in international collaborative relationships. An empirical study of Polish firms cooperating with Chinese and German partners

The aim of the paper is the analysis of the relationship between the perception of the success factors in international collaborative relationships and firm’s international experience. The results of an empirical study on the sample of 278 Polish exporters and importers cooperating with partners from China and Germany are presented and both the differences in success factor perception depending on foreign partners’ home country, and the correlation of the perception of the success factors with the international experience of the firms are discussed. The study revealed that the firms working with partners in China have somewhat more international experience. The importance of the majority of the success factors in relationships with German partners did not differ significantly from those in collaboration with Chinese firms. However, some consequential differences were observed. Internationalization experience is not strongly related with the perception of international cooperation success factors.