Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On interfirm power, channel climate, and solidarity in industrial distributor-supplier dyads

  • Published:
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite surging interest in relational exchange in marketing channels, the link between the interfirm power-influence process and relational exchange remains disjointed. This study intends to connect that link by highlighting (a) the moderating effects of channel climate on the interfirm power-influence process and (b) the main effect of influence strategies on a relational exchange element, solidarity of a dyad. Specifically, the author proposes that channel climate, as manifested by dyadic trust and dyadic relationship continuity, moderates (a) the link between asymmetry of interfirm power and the use of influence strategies and (b) the reciprocation of influence strategies. In turn, the use of influence strategies is posited to affect solidarity of a dyad. The results of hypotheses’ tests, based on the analysis of industrial distributor-supplier dyads, (a) partially confirm the moderating effects of dyadic trust and dyadic relationship continuity and (b) fully confirm the main effects of influence strategies on dyadic solidarity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achrol, Ravi, Torger Reve, and Louis W. Stern. 1983. “The Environment of Marketing Channels: A Framework for Comparative Analysis.”Journal of Marketing 47 (November): 55–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aiken, Leona and Stephen G. West. 1991.Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anand, Punam and Louis W. Stern. 1985. “A Sociopsychological Explanation for Why Marketing Channel Members Relinquish Control.”Journal of Marketing Research 22 (November): 365–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andaleeb, Syed S. 1995. “Dependence Relations and the Moderating Role of Trust: Implications for Behavioral Intentions in Marketing Channels.”International Journal of Research in Marketing 12 (2): 157–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, Erin, Leonard Lodish, and Barton A. Weitz. 1987. “Resource Allocation Behavior in Conventional Channels.”Journal of Marketing Research 22 (November): 365–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and Barton A. Weitz. 1989. “Determinants of Continuity in Conventional Industrial Channel Dyads.”Marketing Science 8 (Fall): 310–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and —. 1992. “The Use of Pledges to Build and Sustain Commitment in Distribution Channels.”Journal of Marketing Research 29 (February): 18–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, James C. and David W. Gerbing. 1988. “Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step Approach.”Psychological Bulletin 103 (May): 411–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and James A. Narus. 1984. “A Model of the Distributor’s Perspective of Distributor-Manufacturer Working Relationships.”Journal of Marketing 48 (Fall): 62–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and —. 1990. “A Model of Distributor Firm and Manufacturer Firm Working Partnerships.”Journal of Marketing 48 (January): 62–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, Richard P. 1981. “Evaluating Structural Equation Models With Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: A Comment.”Journal of Marketing Research 18 (August): 375–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandyopadhyay, Soumava, Robert A. Robicheaux, and John S. Hill. 1994. “Cross-Cultural Differences in Intrachannel Communications: The United States and India.”Journal of International Marketing 2 (3): 83–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bongiorno, Lori. 1993. “Franchising Fracas.”Business Week, March 22, pp. 68–71.

  • Boyle, Brett and F. Robert Dwyer. 1995. “Power, Bureaucracy, Influence, and Performance: Their Relationships in Industrial Distribution Channels.”Journal of Business Research 32 (March): 189–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —,—, Robert A. Robicheaux, and James T. Simpson. 1992. “Influence Strategies in Marketing Channels: Measures and Use in Different Relationship Structures.”Journal of Marketing Research 29 (November): 462–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradach, Jeffrey L. and Robert G. Eccles. 1989. “Price, Authority, and Trust: From Ideal Types to Plural Forms.”Annual Review of Sociology 15: 97–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, James R., Robert F. Lusch, and Darrel D. Muehling. 1983. “Conflict and Power-Dependence Relations in Retailer-Supplier Channels.”Journal of Retailing 59 (Winter): 53–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • —,—, and Carolyn Y. Nicholson. 1995. “Power and Relationship Commitment: Their Impact on Marketing Channel Member Performance.”Journal of Retailing 71 (Winter): 363–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, Jacob and Patricia Cohen. 1983.Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2d ed. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Czako, Judith, Kim S. Frankena, Paul R. Gibson, Michael Hagey, and Andrew Wylegala. 1990.Phase I: Japan’s Distribution System and Options for Improving U.S. Access. Publication No. 2291. Washington, DC: United States International Trade Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, F. Robert and Orville C. Walker. 1981. “Bargaining in an Asymmetrical Power Structure.”Journal of Marketing 45 (Winter): 104–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Ansary, Adel I. and Louis W. Stern. 1972. “Power Measurement in the Distribution Channel.”Journal of Marketing Research 9 (February): 47–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson, Richard M. 1962. “Power-Dependence Relations.”American Sociological Review 27 (February): 31–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falcione, Raymond, Lyle Sussman, and Richard Herden. 1987. “Communication Climate in Organizations.” InHandbook of Organizational Communication: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Eds. F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. H. Roberts, and L. W. Porter. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 195–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forgas, Joseph P. and Barbara Dobosz. 1980. “Dimensions of Romantic Involvement: Toward a Toxonomy of Heterosexual Relationships.”Social Psychology Quarterly 43 (September): 290–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, Claes. 1983. “Issues in the Application of Covariance Structure Analysis: A Comment.”Journal of Consumer Research 9 (March): 443–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and David F. Larcker. 1981. “Evaluating Structural Equation Models With Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error.”Journal of Consumer Research 18 (February): 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, Gary L. 1983. “On the Measurement of Interfirm Power in Channels of Distribution.”Journal of Marketing Research 20 (May): 158–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — 1999. “Organizing and Managing Channels of Distribution.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 27 (Spring): 226–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and Raymond Rody. 1991. “The Use of Influence Strategies in Interfirm Relationships in Industrial Product Channels.”Journal of Marketing 55 (January): 52–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and John D. Summers. 1984. “Interfirm Influence Strategies and Their Application Within Distribution Channels.”Journal of Marketing 48 (Summer): 43–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and —. 1986. “Perceptions of Interfirm Power and Its Use Within a Franchise Channel of Distribution.”Journal of Marketing Research 23 (May): 169–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —, James Gill, and Sudhir Kale. 1989. “Dealer Dependence Levels and Reciprocal Actions in a Channel of Distribution in a Developing Country.”Journal of Marketing 53 (January): 50–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganesan, Shankar. 1993. “Negotiation Strategies and the Nature of Channel Relationships.”Journal of Marketing Research 30 (May): 183–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaski, John F. 1984. “The Theory of Power and Conflict in Channels of Distribution.”Journal of Marketing 48 (Summer): 9–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and John R. Nevin. 1985. “The Differential Effects of Exercised and Unexercised Power Sources in a Marketing Channel.”Journal of Marketing Research 22 (May): 130–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geyskens, Inge, Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp, Lisa K. Scheer, and Nirmalya Kumar. 1996. “The Effects of Trust and Interdependence on Relationship Commitment: A Trans-Atlantic Study.”International Journal of Research in Marketing 13 (4): 303–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gundlach, Gregory T. and Ravi S. Achrol. 1993. “Governance in Exchange: Contract Law and Its Alternatives.”Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 12 (Fall): 141–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and Ernest R. Cadotte. 1994. “Exchange Interdependence and Interfirm Interaction: Research in a Simulated Channel Setting.”Journal of Marketing Research 29 (November): 516–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond, Kevin L., Gene Brown, and Harry A. Harmon. 1996. “Interorganizational Climate Within Marketing Channels: Analysis of a Measure.”Psychological Reports 78 (April): 647–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heide, Jan B. and George John. 1988. “The Role of Dependence Balancing in Safeguarding Transaction-Specific Assets in Conventional Channels.”Journal of Marketing 52 (January): 20–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and —. 1990. “Alliances in Industrial Purchasing: The Determinants of Joint Action in Buyer-Supplier Relationships.”Journal of Marketing Research 27 (February): 24–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and —. 1992. “Do Norms Matter in Marketing Relationship?”Journal of Marketing 56 (April): 32–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, Shelby D. and John R. Nevin. 1974. “Power in a Channel of Distribution: Sources and Consequences.”Journal of Marketing Research 11 (May): 186–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, Johny K. and Ikujiro Nonaka. 1996.Relentless: The Japanese Way of Marketing. New York: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • John, George. 1984. “An Empirical Investigation of Some Antecedents of Opportunism in a Marketing Channel.”Journal of Marketing Research 21 (August): 278–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, Jean L., Tomoaki Sakano, and Naoto Onzo. 1990. “Behavioral Relations in Across-Culture Distribution Systems: Influence, Control, and Conflict in U.S.-Japanese Marketing Channels.”Journal of International Business Studies 21: 639–655.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —,—, Joseph A. Cote, and Naoto Onzo. 1993. “The Exercise of Interfirm Power and Its Repercussions in U.S.-Japanese Channel Relationships.”Journal of Marketing 57 (April): 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —, John B. Cullen, Tomoaki Sakano, and Hideyuki Takeuchi. 1996. “Setting the Stage for Trust and Strategic Integration in Japanese-U.S. Cooperative Alliances.”Journal of International Business Studies 27 (Special Issue): 981–1004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kale, Sudhir. 1986. “Dealer Perceptions of Manufacturer Influence Strategies in a Developing Country.”Journal of Marketing Research 23 (Fall): 387–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, Nirmalya, Lisa K. Scheer, and Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp. 1995. “The Effects of Perceived Interdependence on Dealer Attitudes.”Journal of Marketing Research 32 (August): 348–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —,—, and —. 1998. “Interdependence, Punitive Capability, and the Reciprocation of Punitive Actions in Channel Relationships.”Journal of Marketing Research 35 (May): 225–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lusch, Robert F. 1976. “Channel Conflict: Its Impact on Retailer Operating Performance.”Journal of Retailing 52 (Summer): 3–12, 89–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and James R. Brown. 1996. “Interdependency, Contracting, and Relational Behavior in Marketing Channels.”Journal of Marketing 60 (October): 19–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr, Jakki and John R. Nevin. 1990. “Communication Strategies in Marketing Channels: A Theoretical Perspective.”Journal of Marketing 54 (October): 36–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —, Robert J. Fisher, and John R. Nevin. 1996. “Collaborative Communication in Interfirm Relationships: Moderating Effect of Integration and Control.”Journal of Marketing 60 (July): 103–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moorman, Christine, Rohit Deshpandé, and Gerald Zaltman. 1993. “Factors Affecting Trust in Marketing Research Relationships.”Journal of Marketing 57 (January): 81–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moran, E. Thomas and J. Fredericks Volkwein. 1992. “The Cultural Approach to the Formation of Organizational Climate.”Human Relations 45 (January): 19–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, Robert M. and Shelby D. Hunt. 1994. “The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing.”Journal of Marketing 58 (July): 20–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nevin, John R. 1995. “Relationship Marketing and Distribution Channels: Exploring Fundamental Issues.”Journal of the Academy of the Marketing Science 23 (4): 327–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noordewier, Thomas G., George John, and John R. Nevin. 1990. “Performance Outcomes of Purchasing Arrangements in Industrial Buyer-Vendor Relationships.”Journal of Marketing 54 (October): 80–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, Richard L. 1980. “A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions.”Journal of Marketing Research 17 (November): 460–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedhazur, Elazar J. 1982.Multiple Regression in Behavioral Research: Explanation and Prediction. 2d ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reve, Torger and Louis W. Stern. 1989. “The Relationship Between Interorganizational Form, Transaction Climate, and Economic Performance in Vertical Interfirm Dyads.” InMarketing Channels: Relationship and Performance. Eds. L. Pellegrin and S. K. Reddy. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 75–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roering, Ken. 1977. “Bargaining in Distribution Channels.”Journal of Business Research 5 (March): 15–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotter, Julian B. 1967. “A New Scale for the Measurement of Interpersonal Trust.”Journal of Personality 35 (December): 651–665.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmond, Deborah and Robert E. Spekman. 1992. “A Working Consensus to Collaborate: A Field Study of Manufacturer-Supplier Dyads.” Report 92-134. Cambridge, MA: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shul, Patrick, Taylor Little, and William Pride. 1985. “Channel Climate: Its Impact on Channel Member Satisfaction.”Journal of Retailing 61 (Summer): 9–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schurr, Paul H. and Julie L. Ozanne. 1985. “Influences on Exchange Processes: Buyers’ Perception of a Seller’s Trustworthiness and Bargaining Toughness.”Journal of Consumer Research 11 (March): 939–953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, Louis W. 1969.Distribution Channels: Behavioral Dimensions. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, Paul C. 1986. “Toward a Social Psychology of Solidarity.”American Psychologist 41 (February): 229–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, Richard L. and Reed Abelson 1991. “Franchise Hell.”Forbes, September 2, pp. 152–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verbeke, Willem, Marco Volgering, and Marco Hessels. 1998. “Exploring the Conceptual Expansion Within the Field of Organizational Behavior: Organizational Climate and Organizational Culture.”Journal of Management Studies 35 (May): 303–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weitz, Barton A. and Sandy Jap. 1995. “Relationship Marketing and Distribution Channels.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 23 (Fall): 305–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, Louise C. and Ian F. Wilkinson. 1989. “The Role of Trust and Cooperation in Marketing Channels: A Preliminary Study.”European Journal of Marketing 23 (2): 109–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon State University, Oregon, USA

    Keysuk Kim

Authors
  1. Keysuk Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Keysuk Kim is an assistant professor of marketing at Oregon State University. His research interests include behavioral process in marketing channels and comparative study of interorganizational relationships. His research has appeared in theJournal of Marketing, theInternational Journal of Research in Marketing, theJournal of Business Research, and other journals.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, K. On interfirm power, channel climate, and solidarity in industrial distributor-supplier dyads. JAMS 28, 388–405 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300283007

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300283007

Keywords

Search

Navigation