Network-Bonding Actions, Quality of Ties, and Channel Member Collaboration: Evidence from UK-based Small Firms.

Abstract

We aim to deepen our understanding of the processes through which network-bonding actions affect channel member collaboration in the small firm context. We develop a framework to highlight the mediating roles of quality of ties and moderating role of control mechanisms in such processes. We test our framework using the quantitative method, by analysing survey from 385 UK-based small firms. We find that social interaction tends to affect operation synchronization via goal congruence, while affects intelligence generation via relational embeddedness. Furthermore, contractual governance has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between social interaction and goal congruence.