Article: Determinants of retailer's satisfaction in emerging markets: an integrative SEM-neural network approach Journal: International Journal of Management Practice (IJMP) 2024 Vol.17 No.3 pp.356 - 375 Abstract: The retailer is the final point of sales for brands. The performance of the retailer is a function of satisfaction the retailer derives from the trade relationships. The research framework developed to study the retailer-distributor relationship is a fusion of classical channel literature with prominent theories from behaviour-based approaches like power dependence theory and theory of relational norms. A hybrid technique of structural equation modelling (SEM) and neural network (NN) analysis is used for this cross-sectional study with a sample size of 201 grocery retailers in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector from National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi NCR). The empirical findings of both SEM and NN reveal that fair treatment, domain issues and communication are major determinants of retailer's satisfaction. This study addresses one major void in channel literature by focusing on determinants of a retailer's satisfaction as there are very few studies which have empirically investigated this important channel relationship. It adds to the literature of relationship selling at the retailer level which has mostly been ignored, particularly in context of an emerging economy. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Determinants of retailer's satisfaction in emerging markets: an integrative SEM-neural network approach

Authors: Swati Bhatnagar; Rajan Yadav

Addresses: New Delhi Institute of Management, 50 & 60 B&C, Mehrauli, Badarpur Rd., Behind Batra Hospital, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, Vayusenabad, New Delhi, 110062, India ' Delhi School of Management, Delhi Technological University, Bawana Rd., Shahbad Daulatpur Village, Rohini, Delhi, 110042, India

Abstract: The retailer is the final point of sales for brands. The performance of the retailer is a function of satisfaction the retailer derives from the trade relationships. The research framework developed to study the retailer-distributor relationship is a fusion of classical channel literature with prominent theories from behaviour-based approaches like power dependence theory and theory of relational norms. A hybrid technique of structural equation modelling (SEM) and neural network (NN) analysis is used for this cross-sectional study with a sample size of 201 grocery retailers in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector from National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi NCR). The empirical findings of both SEM and NN reveal that fair treatment, domain issues and communication are major determinants of retailer's satisfaction. This study addresses one major void in channel literature by focusing on determinants of a retailer's satisfaction as there are very few studies which have empirically investigated this important channel relationship. It adds to the literature of relationship selling at the retailer level which has mostly been ignored, particularly in context of an emerging economy.

Keywords: communication; dependence; distribution channels; fairness; neural networks; retailer; satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2024.138172

International Journal of Management Practice, 2024 Vol.17 No.3, pp.356 - 375

Accepted: 08 Nov 2022
Published online: 30 Apr 2024 *

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Title: Determinants of retailer's satisfaction in emerging markets: an integrative SEM-neural network approach

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