The purpose of the study is to map the evolution and current trends in research on channel conflict within the business-to-business (B2B) sector. It also outlines avenues for future research on the topic based on bibliometric analysis, literature review and semi-structured interviews.
Various tools were used for mapping the publication trends in channel conflict research and its scholarly impact. To cross-check and refine the insights gained from the bibliometric analysis, literature review and to obtain empirical evidence from industry experts, semi-structured interviews were conducted with mid- and senior-level sales and marketing professionals and retailers.
The study highlights that channel conflicts are widespread across various markets, and if they escalate beyond a threshold, they can have a detrimental impact on a company’s reputation and financial performance. It highlights leading authors, countries and institutions in the area besides highlighting emerging areas of research in channel conflict domain. Interview responses emphasize collaboration between channels as one of the key approaches for conflict resolution.
The study provides contemporary insights into B2B channel conflict research besides providing a framework on this phenomenon based on the review and interview findings.
