A non-linear causal network of marketing channel system structure

Florian Dost

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2015, vol. 23, issue C, 49-57

Abstract: This article takes a systems perspective to study marketing channel system structure dynamics and their interactions with economic system dynamics. A novel, non-linear method from ecology is used to establish a causal network of mostly bi-directional causal forcing between economic variables and marketing channel system structure. This resulting causal network facilitates a comprehensive understanding of a marketing channel system. The study finds a highly endogenous and non-linearly interrelated subsystem encompassing online/offline retail channel structure, retail/wholesale channel structure, the ratio of import to consumption and the competitive dynamics of the economic system. Surprisingly, marketing channel system structure is rather resilient to changes in economic growth. In contrast, changes in retail/wholesale channel structure affect economic growth. The results may help to caution marketing managers changing their marketing channel structures too routinely. Moreover, the identified causal network presents a starting point for further empirical marketing channel system analyses. Implications particularly affect future empirical marketing channel system studies based on linear structural models.

Keywords: Marketing channel systems; Marketing channel system structure; Economic interactions; Causality; Non-linear methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698914001672
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:23:y:2015:i:c:p:49-57

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.11.005

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is currently edited by Harry Timmermans

More articles in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().