A Study On Opportunism Conflicts And Coordination Mechanisms In Marketing Channels

Marketing channels play a vital role as an important resource of competition advantages for a firm. In China, the relationship mode of distribution channels are transforming from transaction-oriented to strategic partnership-oriented.Conflict is a very popular phenomenon in marketing channels. And the reasons are differed. This thesis propose that opportunistic behavior will do harm to channel members' performance, as well as the channel as a whole. In this thesis, we define opportunistic channel conflicts as the conflicts incurred by opportunism between channel members: manufacture and distributor. In detail, we focus on opportunism and its controlling and management mechanisms in our country distribution channels. We analyse the definitions and meanings of opportunism, the forms of opportunistic behavior, and the factors that can give rise to opportunism in chapter 2. Especially, we studied the opportunism related matters in our country and found out that the forms and factors are different from the developed countries in distribution channels.At length, we assume and propose control and management mechanisms of opportunism between channel members for our country firms. Firstly, we'd like to advise the traditional mechanisms for controlling opportunism, that is property, idiosyncratic investment, and relational norms. Secondly, we assume that some characteristic mechanisms, such as proper channel power structure, trust and mutual trust, dependence and inter-dependence, commitment and mutual commitment, and effective communication between channel members, can control and manage opportunism in our country. Finally, we suppose that, in management practice, firms can use these mechanisms together and coordinate marketing channels.