Influence of marketing channel conflicts on channel innovation capability: the mediating role of channel cohesion and the moderating role of channel network structure

Purpose In this paper, extending the research on the positive effects of marketing channel conflicts, this paper aims to examine how functional and dysfunctional conflicts influence channel innovation capability by triggering channel cohesion and investigate the moderating role of a distributor’s network structure. Design/methodology/approach Based on social network theory and Coser’s conflict theory, this paper develops a framework, tested using Chinese manufacturers’ data, which incorporated six key variables, namely, functional conflict, dysfunctional conflict, channel cohesion, channel innovation capability, network density and network centrality. Findings The empirical results revealed that functional conflict can arouse channel cohesion and that distributor network density and centrality positively moderates this relationship; dysfunctional conflict negatively affects channel cohesion, but distributor network density negatively moderates this relationship; channel cohesion had a mediating effect on the relationship between channel conflict and channel innovation capability. Originality/value This paper contributes to the research on channel conflict by incorporating the entire channel system’s innovation capability as a positive consequence of channel conflict and expands the channel conflict literature that adopts a network structure perspective.