Revisiting the expropriation and bonding effects of specific asset investments from the perspective of channel role behaviors

Purpose This study aims to revisit the expropriation and bonding effects of specific asset investment (SAI) in B2B marketing channels by considering the dual pathways of channel role behaviors (suppliers’ in-role contract enforcement and distributors’ extra-role altruistic behavior) between SAI and cooperative performance and examines how suppliers’ fairness perceptions (distributive and procedural fairness) moderate these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on agency theory and equity theory, this study develops a comprehensive model connecting SAI, channel role behaviors and fairness perceptions. The hypotheses were tested using survey data collected from 580 home appliance distributors in mainland China. Findings The results reveal that SAI positively influences both suppliers’ in-role contract enforcement and distributors’ extra-role altruistic behavior, with both channel role behaviors positively contributing to cooperative performance in B2B relationships. Fairness perceptions moderate these relationships differently: distributive fairness enhances the relationship between SAI and distributors’ extra-role altruistic behavior, while procedural fairness strengthens the relationship between SAI and suppliers’ in-role contract enforcement. Channel role behaviors partially mediate the relationship between SAI and cooperative performance. Originality/value This study contributes to B2B marketing channel literature by revisiting SAI from the perspective of channel role behaviors, providing a novel lens to understand the expropriation and bonding effects in industrial exchange relationships. By identifying how suppliers’ SAI simultaneously influence different types of channel role behaviors, this study reveals important mechanisms through which these investments transmit to cooperative performance. This study also demonstrates how different dimensions of fairness shape these behavioral pathways in B2B contexts, offering new insights for channel relationship management beyond traditional perspectives.