Manufacturer – Distributor Relationships: A Sellers′versus Buyers′ Market Perspective Available to Purchase

The differences that exist in manufacturer – distributor relationships across diverse markets and countries have been largely ignored in the marketing channels literature. A conceptual framework is built designed to explain how the initiation, implementation, and review of manufacturer – distributor relationships are likely to vary,based on whether such relationships take place in buyers′ markets in developed countries or in sellers′ markets in developing countries. Several cultural and structural dimensions of markets in developing countries also play an important role in the conceptual framework. A comparative channel systems approach is taken and a number of propositions are developed that require empirical testing in the future.