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This paper presents a systematic method for classifying research on international channels of distribution. It is used to examine 79 articles published during an 18‐year period (1988‐2005). Based on content analysis, each article is classified by its primary research framework. Two frameworks are identified: (1) structural ‐ based on the economic and organizational aspects of international channels of distribution; and (2) behavioral ‐ based on the exchange relationship between channel members from different national environments. This simple organizing system offers a comprehensive way to analyze scholarship that has emerged in the field. For managers, it can bring the theoretical and practical developments together in an understandable fashion as they seek to interpret and apply research findings. For scholars, it may bring focus to an increasingly complex area of international business and guide future research efforts.

States that providing quality customer service is increasingly regarded as an important basis for establishing and maintaining solid and long‐term relationships between manufacturers and distributors in marketing channels. Discusses the results of a research project which was undertaken to study the relationship between perceived service quality, supplier power bases and perceived relationship strength in international marketing channels. Finds that two dimensions can be used for characterizing perceived service quality in international marketing channels: service elements controlled by intermediary personnel; and service elements controlled by management. Moreover reveals that perceived service quality is an important determinant of perceived relationship strength, in contrast to coercive power bases such as offering rewards or undertaking punitive action. Concludes that, particularly in long channel structures, perceived service quality forms an important marketing channel instrument for relationship marketing.

Research that has considered the problems faced by internationalising retailers has tended to focus upon such dimensions as non‐conducive environmental conditions and inferior internal capability, rather than the conflicts that may arise from the partnerships that are formed in order to facilitate the internationalisation of retailer operations. This study seeks to re‐dress this research neglect and does so by focusing upon the fashion sector. The aim of this study is to identify the problems that may arise from fashion retailers’ international relationships. The paper reports the findings of an in‐depth study of the relationships of ten international fashion retailers. It is found that these relationships face significant tensions, specifically with respect to strategy non‐compliance, perceptual disagreements, and arguments concerning the demarcation of decision making responsibility. The paper concludes by identifying areas for future research consideration.

Examines the pattern of relationships between foreign manufacturing firms and local third‐party distributors and the effective management and co‐ordination of supplier‐distributor relationships in China. Case studies of four foreign‐funded food manufacturers in China have been conducted. Different distributorship and styles of relationship management have been identified in each firm. Major relational constructs examined include channel conflicts and relationships, power sources and relational outcomes. Nine propositions have been derived from the findings. Research and managerial implications have also been discussed.

It is important for an exporting manufacturer to motivate its foreign channel partners to sell and promote its products. An excellent way to motivate such foreign channel partners is to give them exclusive territories. Unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the determinants of territorial exclusivity. This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and territorial exclusivity and the moderating role of firm size in this relationship.

Survey data were collected from manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. To test the hypotheses, a regression analysis was conducted using the ordinary least squares technique.

Empirical evidence shows that the cultural values of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance influence territorial exclusivity; collectivist exporters are likely to use territorial exclusivity, whereas exporters with high uncertainty avoidance are not likely to use it. Furthermore, the larger the firm size, the smaller the impact of cultural values on territorial exclusivity; this suggests that large SMEs do not rely on their organizational culture to make decisions about exclusive territories.

The export marketing literature emphasizes the advantages of exclusive territories. By contrast, the channel management literature suggests that exclusive territories also have disadvantages. As exclusive territories have both advantages and disadvantages, it is crucial to answer the following question: What kinds of exporting manufacturers grant exclusive territories to their foreign channel partners? By addressing this question, this study contributes to a better understanding of export channel strategy.

Advanced information technology (IT) changes the way companies manage cross‐border supply chains. This paper examines the role of IT in the context of international business to business (B2B) relationship and its contribution to supply chain performance.

This literature review paper develops a conceptual model of IT‐mediated relationships in international supply chain relationships. The framework integrates transaction cost economics and resource‐based theory perspectives and argues that IT capabilities facilitate supply chain performance, deter partner's opportunism and this process is mediated by B2B processes. Moreover, environmental, relational, cultural and country level moderators are examined.

It is suggested that IT capabilities contribute directly to improved organizational process such as coordination, transaction specific investment, absorptive capacity and monitoring. These in turn contribute to strategic and operational performance outcomes. Against a resource‐based as well as a transaction‐cost theory background it is suggested that partner interdependence and environmental, country and cultural factors moderate the process of IT contribution on performance.

The paper provides a number of propositions which can be tested empirically in future studies.

Managers should focus on the complementarities of IT capabilities. Electronic integration in combination with, for example, human IT resources may enhance supply chain performance and mitigate the moderating effects of environmental, relational, cultural and country factors.

The paper develops an integrated conceptual model and propositions which contribute to a clarification of the ambiguous nature of the IT‐business value in international B2B relationship.

This meta-analysis aims to explore the true effect sizes of major channel performance drivers from different theoretical perspectives and how these true effects are organized in a theoretically integrated structural analysis to predict performance.

First, it offers a quantitative summary on the drivers of channel performance through pairwise correlation analysis. Second, it tests an integrative framework of various performance drivers based on the relational view by using structural equation modeling. Last, it examines the potential moderation on the effects of performance drivers.

The synthesized effects of various channel performance drivers confirm the effectiveness of underlying theoretical perspectives of channel performance. The relational view is effective to identify immediate interorganizational drivers of channel performance. The contexts and methods of performance assessment have an impact on the appraisal of performance drivers.

The performance drivers included in this meta-analysis are constrained to variables that exist in empirical channels literature and have sufficient primary data for analysis. Moderation tests are constrained by the report of research contexts and methods in original studies. Future research should broaden the theoretical perspectives on channel performance.

First, leveraging key routines and processes embedded in marketing channel relationships is critical to improve channel performance. Second, more targeted effort to manage channels in different markets may improve the efficiency of channel performance enhancement. Last, a comprehensive performance assessment process is necessary to avoid biased estimation of performance drivers.

This meta-analysis provides a systematic review of factors influencing marketing channel performance by synthesizing and correcting the effect sizes of performance drivers from different theoretical perspectives. It further develops and tests an integrative model of four immediate interorganizational drivers of channel performance.

As firms seek to prosper in a fiercely competitive global economy, cooperative inter‐firm alliances among members of the value chain are increasingly being forged. In the area of marketing channels, strategic alliances among international channel partners have become the norm as well. Thus, identification of inter‐firm influence strategies – such as different leadership styles – used by the channel captain to motivate international channel partners becomes increasingly important. More specifically, in administering a firm’s marketing channels, participative, supportive, and directive leadership styles may be effective in eliciting channel partners to exert higher levels of motivation, which, in turn, may be associated with higher levels of performance. The linkages among leadership styles, motivation, and performance are empirically examined on data drawn from a sample of automobile distributors in the USA, Finland, and Poland. International channel management implications are discussed, limitations of the study are identified, and directions for future research are suggested.

As international retailers continue to employ franchising as a major method of market entry, the control of these international retail franchise networks becomes of significant importance. The aim of this paper is to examine the methods by which UK‐based international fashion franchisors control franchisees and their international franchise businesses.

The paper employs a qualitative methodology and a multiple case design. Six UK‐based fashion retailers with international franchise operations form the empirical basis of the study.

The franchise contract, support mechanisms, franchise partner selection, the franchise relationship and the use of master/area franchising were found to be the major methods by which international retail franchisors exert control over their franchise networks. While coercive and non‐coercive sources of power were identified in the form of the franchise contract and support mechanisms, the paper also identifies sources of relationship power and organisational power.

The paper provides practical information to existing international franchisors and those firms considering the move into the international marketplace via the franchise mode of operation. By highlighting additional sources of power in the form of organisational and relationship power, franchisors are offered further means by which to control their international businesses than hitherto identified in the international franchise literature.

Traditional franchise research suggests that there is a dichotomy in the sources of power available to franchisors, that is, coercive or non‐coercive sources of power. While acknowledging the existence and importance of these sources of power and their related methods of control, this paper adds further dimensions to the academic debate by introducing relationship power and organisational power. Therefore, franchise partner selection, the franchise relationship and the use of master/area franchising emerge from the qualitative findings as further control mechanisms available to international retail franchisors.

In recent years, many firms from developing countries (LDCs) have engaged in foreign direct investment (FDI). Interestingly some of these firms locate their investments in developed countries (DCs) (i.e., upstream FDI), instead of in countries economically similar to or less than their home countries (i.e., downstream FDI). However, only a few researchers have examined the issues related to upstream FDI. Furthermore, when examining FDI, most studies have focused on manufacturing subsidiaries but paid less attention to sales subsidiaries. Due to the differences in nature, management of manufacturing and sales subsidiaries should be different. Using a case study approach and focusing on the behaviors of Taiwanese firms, we address two research questions: (1) what are the channel strategies adopted by the sales subsidiaries of Taiwanese high-tech firms (i.e., multinational corporations (MNCs) from LDCs (LDCMNCs)) in DCs? and (2) how do these subsidiaries manage their channels in DCs? Our findings are: (1) LDCMNCs tend to use multiple sales channels, to work with large national distributors, and to adopt high touch channels to market products in DCs; (2) to reduce channel conflict, less powerful LDCMNCs tend to adopt multiple independent channel system, instead of dual channel system; and (3) due to limited resources, LDCMNCs make more effort on designing channel conflict prevention mechanisms than designing channel conflict resolution mechanisms, emphasize more on building relationships with distributors and tend to use financial incentives/high-power incentives than use other types of incentives to motivate distributors. The findings of this study are helpful for LDC firms to operate their sales subsidiaries more effectively in DCs.