Purpose

Many manufacturers implement a dual channel strategy, which can be defined as the simultaneous use of integrated and independent channels of distribution for the same product line. This study employs the resource-based theory and examines how manufacturers' and distributors' capabilities affect manufacturers' choices of dual channel strategy. The study also examines how fit between organisational capability and channel structure affects channel system performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical testing was conducted using survey data collected from 262 Japanese business-to-business manufacturers. This study performed a multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the antecedents of dual channel strategy and a t-test to examine its performance implications.

Findings

The results show that manufacturers' information capabilities and the availability of distributors' selling capabilities affect whether manufacturers choose a dual channel strategy, and that market turbulence moderates the effects of these two capability factors. The results also indicate that manufacturers can improve their channel system performance by choosing channel strategies that fit organisational capabilities.

Originality/value

Most previous studies employ transaction cost theory to identify the factors driving the choice of dual channel strategy. However, these studies neglect the heterogeneity of resources/capabilities. Little is known about whether capability factors affect the dual channel strategy, and how this choice can be linked to channel system performance. By addressing this knowledge gap, this study contributes to enhance our understanding of dual channels.

中文翻译：

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制造商和分销商的能力影响双渠道选择

目的

许多制造商实施双渠道策略，这可以定义为同一产品线同时使用集成和独立分销渠道。这项研究采用了基于资源的理论，并研究了制造商和分销商的能力如何影响制造商对双渠道战略的选择。该研究还研究了组织能力和渠道结构之间的契合度如何影响渠道系统的绩效。

设计/方法/方法

使用从262家日本企业对企业制造商那里收集的调查数据进行了实证测试。这项研究进行了多项逻辑回归分析，以检验双通道策略的前因，并进行了t检验以检验其性能含义。

发现

结果表明，制造商的信息能力和分销商销售能力的可用性会影响制造商是否选择双渠道策略，而市场动荡会缓和这两个能力因素的影响。结果还表明，制造商可以通过选择适合组织能力的渠道策略来改善其渠道系统性能。

创意/价值

以前的大多数研究都采用交易成本理论来确定驱动双渠道策略选择的因素。但是，这些研究忽略了资源/能力的异质性。关于能力因素是否会影响双通道策略，以及如何将此选择与通道系统性能联系在一起，鲜为人知。通过解决这一知识鸿沟，本研究有助于增进我们对双重渠道的理解。