Channel relationship factors in cross-cultural contexts: Antecedents of satisfaction in a retail setting

Recent meta-analyses of the channels relationship literature show gaps in the research. The current study seeks to fill several of those gaps by examining the effect of cultural characteristics on relational constructs in retail buyer-supplier settings in the U.S. and Japan. The study also investigates the under-researched construct of conflict, and the role conflict plays in mediating relationship satisfaction. Results of the analysis of structural equation models indicate that for the antecedents of conflict, little differences exist between cultures. However, differences in how those antecedents affect conflict and conflict's role as a mediator are elucidated.