Alienation in the distribution channel: Conceptualization, measurement, and initial theory testing

Of all the social phenomena that have been investigated in the distribution channel context – including power, conflict, dependence, role performance, and opportunism – one that has escaped attention until now is alienation. Borrowing from traditional behavioral science and consumer behavior, the following monograph defines the concept of distributor alienation and elaborates a method for its measurement. After surviving a validation regimen, the measure is applied within the confines of a test of a theoretical model. The results may provide a preliminary framework for a future structure of channel alienation theory.