Enhancing relationship value between manufacturers and distributors through personal interaction : evidence from Vietnam

Purpose – Realizing the importance of personal interaction in business relationships between manufacturers and distributors, this study aims to explore the role of personal interaction in relationship value, and subsequently in distributor performance, in a transition market, Vietnam.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 472 distributors in the south of Vietnam was surveyed to test the theoretical model. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.Findings – It was found that personal interaction drives product support, information support, and delivery performance perceived by distributors. In addition, product support, information support, and delivery performance are key factors that nurture the value of relationships between manufacturers and distributors. Finally, relationship value is a determinant of distributor performance.Research limitations/implications – A key limitation of this study is the heavy reliance on the hypothetico‐deductive approach. Business relationships of firms...