Bad Actors in the Channels of Distribution: Conceptual Clarity, Demarcation & Antecedents of Abuse

摘要

There is little research in the Marketing Distribution Channels literature dealing with the consequences of negative actions levied by one channel member on another. At the time of this writing there is no research dealing with the concept of abuse in this context. This paper seeks to expand the limited amount of research dealing with negative actions of one channel member upon another. More specifically, this paper will seek to clearly demarcate the concept of "Punitive Actions" in a marketing distribution channels setting from "Abusive Actions", while allowing both these actions to be classified as a more narrowly defined version of "Destructive Acts". This paper will also set a conceptual groundwork for instances of abuse in a channels setting by introducing antecedents of abuse that are believed to carry substantial predictive capability.