Contract Types, Institutional Distance and Operational Performance: Evidence from Global Trade Flows in the LNG Industry

Abstract

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. In this study, we examine the relationship between contract types, institutional distance and operational performance in the context of cross-border trade in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. Drawing on the buyer–supplier long-term relationships literature, we argue for a negative link between short-term contractual agreements and operational performance. Further, drawing insights from institutional theory, we contend that a high level of formal and informal institutional distance between the origin (i.e. supplier) and destination (i.e. buyer) countries reduces operational performance. We also argue that formal and informal institutional distance mitigates the negative effect of short-term contracts on operational performance. Finally, we draw on the role of ‘asymmetry in distance’ by examining the direct and moderating effect of both the relevance and direction of formal institutional distance. We test our assumptions using LNG global trade flows from 39 source countries to 44 destination countries over the 2008–2017 period (a total of 17,447 shipments). Our study extends our knowledge on the operational performance implications of buyer–supplier relationships and stresses the important role formal and informal institutional distance plays as a direct and moderating effect on this relationship.