Attitude-behavior relationships in the context of conflict management in channels of distribution

Abstract EN

The present research examined the effects of attitudes towards conflict upon conflict-management behavior in marketing channels of distribution.

It was proposed that: (1) attitudes towards conflict can be either objective (i.e., based on substantive information) or subjective (i.e..

based on contextual cues); (2) conflict-management behavior can be either confrontational (i.e..

based on behavioral resources) or lenient (i.e., based on behavioral opportunities); and (3) increasing (decreasing) the availability and relevance of attitudes as guides to behavior increases (decreases) attitude-behavior consistency.

Participants were given a conflict scenario and were required to play the role of a brokerage manager facing a conflict with his/her principal supplier regarding the development of a new market.

Subjects were instructed to focus either on the objective or the subjective component of their attitudes.

Additionally, the context of conflict management was varied to make behavior either confrontational or lenient.

Results indicated that confrontational behaviors were more consistent with objective than with subjective attitudes.

Alternatively, lenient behaviors were more consistent with subjective than with objective attitudes.