Commitment in Marketing Channels: Mitigator or Aggravator of the Effects of Destructive Acts?

Abstract

This research examines how a firm’s relationship commitment influences its extra-role behavior after an intentional destructive act by a partner. The results of two studies – one a national survey of dealers for a consumer durable product and the other a set of three experiments involving business-to-business managers – show that the outcome of a destructive act depends on the type of commitment: whether the commitment is affective, calculative, or normative. Under relational distress caused by a supplier’s destructive act, high affective commitment induces more negative extra-role behaviors, high calculative commitment induces more positive extra-role behaviors, while high normative commitment induces little change in extra-role behavior. Process tests indicate that each of these effects on extra-role behavior is explained (mediated) by psychological responses that are distinct for the type of commitment involved.

Keywords: Dealer commitment, Supplier destructive acts, Extra-role behavior

JEL Classification: D21, D74, M31