| Since the1970s, the channel conflict continues to be a major theme in marketing channel research. Prior research has shown that channel conflict has the negative effects on the firm performance from the perspective of the dyad relationships, and that selecting an effective channel conflict resolution mechanism is important for the improvement of channel performance in marketing channel conflict management. However, with regard to the firms under the period of economic transition in China, the main problems currently are:intensive channel conflict has severely threatened to the establishment of channel system and the overall sustained competitiveness of firm. Meanwhile, ineffective channel conflict resolution mechanisms also destroyed the original relationships base between channel members. Therefore, channel performance is increasingly reduced. Recently, some literatures indicate that studying the channel conflict, extended the dual relationship paradigm to the perspective of network, can significantly improve these situations and more fully understood the channel conflict resolution behavior. However, the research of channel network is still in its starting phase. The concept boundary of channel network is vague, and the endogenous mechanisms are not clearly defined yet.As the sub-project of National Nature Science Foundation of China Project'The Research on Mechanism of Channel Conflict Resolution in the Vertical Marketing Channel System:Based on the Perspective of Multi-lateral Competition'(71172209), this dissertation studies the fundamental issue that how do the channel network embeddedness affects the use of channel conflict resolution strategies from the perspective of social network.Following the thoughts of system science, applying combination method, combining the management, marketing, and social network, this dissertation examines the fundamental question of'how do the channel network embeddedness affects the use of channel conflict resolution strategies. Firstly, this dissertation clearly defines the concept of the channel network embeddedness and refines the measurement dimension of research variables, such as channel network embeddedness, and channel conflict resolution strategy and channel performance. Sceondly, through literature reviews, integrating theoretical analysis, and deth-interviews, this dissertation builds up the conceptual model of influential mechanisms of the channel network embeddedness affects the use of channel conflict resolution strategies and proposes twelve empirical hypotheses. Thirdly, this dissertation conducts statistical test based on238survey samples from manufacturers with SPSS17.0soft and AMOS22.0soft, and tests the research hypothesis using hierarchical regression analysis. The result shows that most of the hypotheses are supported. Fourthly and finally, this dissertation summs up the research findings, offers the implication for theory and for practice, and refines the limitation and further research orientation.Drawing on the above analysis and appraisal, the main conclusions can be presented as follow:(1) Channel network embeddedness is part of firm-level of network embeddedness, including the dual relational embeddedness between firm and distributors, as well as the structural embeddedness among distributor network.(2) Channel network embeddedness affect use of the conflict resolution strategies, while the relational embeddedness and the structural embeddedness have differences effects on the conflict resolution strategies. Closeness and reciprocity between firm and distributors, viewed as two dimensions of the relational embeddedness in the channel network, both have significant negative impact on competitive conflict resolution strategies, while trust and shared values between firm and distributors, viewed as the other two dimensions of the relational embeddedness, both has no significant effect on competitive conflict resolution strategies. Closeness, reciprocity and shared values all have significant positive impact on cooperative conflict resolution strategies, while trust has no significant effect on cooperative conflict resolution strategies. Trust and reciprocity both have significant positive impact on avoidance conflict resolution strategies, while closeness and shared values have no significant effects on avoidance conflict resolution strategies.Network density, viewed as an important dimensions of the structural embeddedness of distributor network, all has significant positive on competitive, cooperative and avoidance conflict resolution strategies. Network centrality, viewed as another important dimensions of the structural embeddedness of distributor network, has significant positive on competitive conflict resolution strategies, while has no significant effects on cooperative and avoidance conflict resolution strategies.(3)Channel conflict resolution strategies are related to channel performance in different ways, and the relationship between Channel conflict resolution strategies and channel performance is moderated by exchange time of channel relationship. Under no considering the situation of relationship time, the use of competitive conflict resolution strategiesis no significantly related to channel performance. However, the use of competitive conflict resolution strategies is different related to channel performance under considering roles of relationship time:use of competitive conflict resolution strategies is positively related to channel performance when the relationship time is in a short, while is negatively related to channel performance when the relationship time is in a long. Moreover, uses of cooperative and avoidance conflict resolution strategies are positively related to channel performance, but relationship time between channel members weakens the positive relationship of uses of cooperative and avoidance conflict resolution strategies on channel performance.(4) In China Confucian cultural business background, avoidance conflict resolution is an appropriate strategy, since it can save face of both conflict parties and reduce the coordination costs of channel members.Compared to the existing achievements in related research fields, this dissertation has four contributions as follow:(1) Focusing on firm-level, this dissertation refined firstly channel the concept of channel network embeddedness and proposed its operational construct.(2) Basing on embeddedness theory, this dissertation examined the link between channel network embeddedness and conflict resolution strategies, and the link between conflict resolution strategies and channel performance.(3) This dissertation integrated both relational embeddedness and structural embeddedness into the analysis model, while previous literature has often highlighted the impact of network embeddedness on channel behaviors from the perspective of relational embeddedness or structural embeddedness alone.(4) This dissertation extended context of channel conflict research to the Confucian cultural business background, and confirmed avoidance conflict resolution is an appropriate strategy, which is positive related to channel performance. |
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