Mitigating the spillover effect of intra-channel conflict on cross-channel conflict: evidence from China

Purpose Although it is widely acknowledged that multichannel retailing induces intra-channel conflict between manufacturers and retailers and cross-channel conflict among different retail channels, the effect of intra-channel conflict on cross-channel conflict and the factors influencing this relationship have received limited scholarly attention. Drawing on complex adaptive system theory and multichannel retailing literature, we investigate how intra-channel conflict affects cross-channel conflict and consider the influences of interfirm and institutional contingencies. Design/methodology/approach Using data from 401 manufacturers and regional statistics on the marketisation index in China, this study investigates the impact of intra-channel conflict on cross-channel conflict and the moderating roles of manufacturer–retailer collaboration, product marketisation and legal effectiveness. Findings The results show that intra-channel conflict aggravates cross-channel conflict, but collaboration between manufacturers and retailers could mitigate this effect. Moreover, institutional factors play contingent roles; specifically, firms operating in regions with higher product marketisation and less developed legal effectiveness experience greater induction of cross-channel conflict due to intra-channel conflict. Practical implications This study provides valuable insights for firms’ decision-making on conflict governance in the context of multichannel retailing. Originality/value Our findings reveal the spillover effect of intra-channel conflict on cross-channel conflict and elucidate how firms’ collaboration strategies and institutional factors modulate this effect. This research extends the application of complex adaptive system theory and contributes to the literature on multichannel retailing.