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.