The Structure of Marketing Channel RelationshThe structure of marketing channel relationships-an integration of western and Chinese perspectivesips-An Integration of Western and Chinese Perspectives

Authors: Yung-Ching Ho; Wen-Kuei Wu;

Journal: Chia Da Management Review. Jun. 2007, 27(1): 87-113.

Keywords:Guanxi; Channel Relationship

Abstract:
The recent attention paid to channel relationships in the marketing literature focuses heavily on both western economic and social perspectives-political economy paradigm, transaction cost analysis, and relationship marketing to explain the building and maintaining of channel relationships. But limited research has been carried out on the complex notion of guanxi(literally, relationship) in Chinese society. Despite repeated emphasis on the benefits of guanxi, the literature still lacks an integration, of Western and Chinese perspectives. This paper starts with a conceptual review on channel relationships from Western economic and social perspectives, followed by a discussion of its antecedents and consequences. Then, we adapt the guanxi dynamic approach and provide an integrated model. According to the model, some hypothesizes are also proposed and tested. The proposed model of channel relationship is consistent with the major research paradigms but focuses on Taiwan enterprises; they are under the Chinese cultural and social context. We conclude that the psychological classification schema that contains two main dimensions: ascribed and interactive guanxi plays an important role in the structure and performance of channel relationships. Some theoretical, managerial implications and future researches are also discussed.