The Role of Trust and Co‐operation in Marketing Channels: A Preliminary Study

There exists at present a gap in channel theory on the role of co‐operation and trust in the functioning of interfirm relationships. These variables have not featured as major factors in the explanations of how channels co‐ordinate their activities, survive and grow. This article introduces trust as an important determinant of channel behaviour, indicates the importance of trust in co‐operative behaviour and presents the results of an introductory study on trust in marketing channels.