Abstract:

Based on the valid survey data from 210 manufacturers in alliance with their distributors, this paper investigates empirically the impacts of two types of opportunism on relationship conflict between alliance partners, and analyzes emphatically the moderating effects of the manufacturer’s initial trust in the distributor. The research results show as follows: firstly, both of passive opportunism and active opportunism taken by the distributor affect relationship conflict positively, but the latter’s effect is greater; secondly, the manufacturer’s initial benevolence trust weakens the positive effect of the distributor’s passive opportunism on relationship conflict, while strengthens the positive effect of its active opportunism on relationship conflict; thirdly, the manufacturer’s initial competence trust weakens the positive effect of the distributor’s passive opportunism on relationship conflict, while strengthens the positive effect of its active opportunism on relationship conflict. This paper expands the relative theoretical research of initial trust and opportunism in channel alliance, and provides practical guidance for effective management of channel alliance relationship.

Key words: channel alliance, active opportunism, passive opportunism, Initial trust, Relationship conflict