The purpose of the study is to discuss the relationship management in the marketing channels based on the transaction cost theory. There are few empirical studies on opportunism in China. Using the laminated flooring industry as the research context, this research investigate how opportunism is limited by (1) ownership, (2) investment in transaction specific assets, (3) relational norms, and the effect of opportunism on the ex post transaction costs between brand headquarters and chain stores.Overall, the results generally support emphasizing relational norms in managing opportunism in marketing channels, the effects of ownership and transaction specific assets are not obvious. If the opportunism can be well limited, it can also reduce the ex post transaction costs of bargaining costs, monitoring costs and maladaption costs. At last, the study discuss implications for transaction cost theory and relationship management. |