Building Sustainable Global Marketing Channels: Exploring the Role of Inter-Organizational Trust and Performance Metrics in the Age of Industry 4.0

Matti Haverila (), Jenny Carita Twyford and Nashwa Nader
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Matti Haverila: Marketing Department, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
Jenny Carita Twyford: Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester M15 6PB, UK
Nashwa Nader: LSBU Business School, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: This research explores the interaction between inter-organizational trust, marketing channels, and market and financial performance (FP) in establishing sustainable global marketing channels using Industry 4.0 technologies. It is conducted within the relational exchange theory (RET) framework and transaction cost economics (TCE). The sample (N = 131) was collected through the marketing research firm Centiment. PLS-SEM and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) were utilized as statistical methods. All hypotheses except the relationship between marketing channel operational performance and FP were accepted. This research highlights the vital role of inter-organizational trust in enhancing operational efficiency, profitability, and sustainability. It finds that trust fosters collaboration in global distribution channels, improving performance across multiple dimensions. Specifically, trust positively impacts marketing channel operations, boosting market performance. Nevertheless, all exogenous constructs were essential—“must-have” conditions for the endogenous FP construct. Applying the novel NCA is distinctive, primarily as it demonstrates that the relationship between marketing channel operational performance and FP is a necessary “must-have” condition, despite the insignificant path coefficient between the constructs. This is a crucial finding, as further investment in marketing channel operational performance and other antecedents of FP may be futile if the necessary conditions have not been met.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; performance; marketing channel operational performance; inter-organizational trust; PLS-SEM; Necessary Condition Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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