Japanese retail–buyer–supplier relationships: does performance matter?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to compare two models, traditional‐ and performance‐based, of Japanese retailers' channel relationships. The traditional model proposes Japanese retailers' long‐term orientation with their supplier is an antecedent of Japanese retailers' trust and dependence on the supplier. The performance model, on the other hand, proposes significant influences of suppliers' role performance and dependence on channel relationships.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from Japanese department store buyers and specialty store buyers. A total of 141 cases were analyzed using the EQS structural equation modeling software.Findings – Results show that the traditional model had a higher explanatory power than the performance model, which indicates the strong influence of culture on Japanese channel relationships.Research limitations/implications – Some measures have relatively poor psychometric properties. A further study should refine these measurements by exploring the mea...

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