Abstract:
The importance of major dealers’ expertise in distribution channels and effects on exchange relations is
widely acknowledged by many SMEs in Africa and yet there seem to be a paucity of research on this
matter. To address this dearth, the current study attempts to examine the relationship between major
dealers’ expert power and SME manufacturers’ channel cooperation and the mediating influence of their
trust, relationship commitment and satisfaction. The conceptualized model and five hypotheses are
empirically validated using a sample of 452 manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe. The findings indicate that
major dealers’ expert power may influence SME manufacturers’ trust, relationship commitment, relationship
satisfaction and channel cooperation in a significant way. Managerial implications of the research findings
are provided.
