No abstract

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the question of how to build stable, long-term relationships between manufacturers and members of conventional channels. This descriptive field study concerns a basic requirement for building long-term relationships, which is the expectation by a marketing intermediary that the relationship will last. Hypotheses about the continuity of relationships are developed from the literature on social exchange, bargaining, and negotiation. These hypotheses are framed as a simultaneous equation system, which is estimated via three-stage least squares on a sample of 690 relationships (dyads) involving manufacturers and their independent sales agents (manufacturers' representatives). Results substantially support the model, highlighting the importance of interpersonal relationships in insuring the continuity of the dyad.distribution channels, sales force management, interorganizational relations, strategic alliances

Commitment in channel relationships is modeled as a function of (1) each party's perception of the other party's commitment, (2) self-reported and perceived pledges (idiosyncratic investments and contractual terms) made by each party, and (3) other factors such as communication level, reputation, and relationship history. A dyadic model represented by a simultaneous equation system is estimated with data from 378 pairs of manufacturers and industrial distributors. The results indicate that one type of pledge, idiosyncratic investments, has a strong effect on the commitment of both parties to the relationship. In addition, each party's commitment is affected by the perceived commitment of the other party. Finally, idiosyncratic investments signal commitment, affecting each party's perceptions of the other party's commitment.