비대칭적 의존구조가 심한 유통경로에서는 건전한 거래관계 형성이 어렵고, 기능장애적인 경로관계, 기회주의적 행동이 만연하게 된다. 이러한 비대칭적 의존구조 하에서는 건전한 거래 관계 형성을 위해 약자를 보호하고, 안정적인 거래관계를 유지할 수 있는 보호 메커니즘을 연구하는 것은 중요하다. 본 연구는 이러한 보호 메커니즘을 자원기반관점을 이용하여 발견하고, 실증하고 있다. 특히, 관계특유투자와 관계자본, 그리고 관계학습을 유통경로의 중요한 자원으로 보고 이것들이 경로관계의 성과에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 살펴보고 있다. 국내 백화점의 입점업체 250개의 백화점 납품 담당자를 대상으로 한 설문조사가 실시되었고, 구조방정식 모형 분석을 이용하여 가설검정을 실시하였다. 가설검정 결과 관계특유투자와 관계자본이 관계학습의 세가지 과정인 정보공유, 공동이해, 관계특유기억 개발 모두를 강화하였고, 관계특유기억의 개발은 두가지 유통경로의 성과인 효율성과 효과성을 강화하였다. 반면 정보공유는 성과에 영향을 미치지 않았고, 공동이해는 부분적인 영향을 미쳤다.
Viewing inter-organizational learning as an important avenue for creating comparative advantage and considerable profits in relationships, scholars have focused on understanding the factors affecting inter-organizational learning and the links with performances. The extant conceptual framework of inter-organizational learning, however, links the relationship conditions between organizations directly to relationship learning outcomes, but have left the intervening learning processes virtually unexplored. In View of buyer-seller relationships as important avenues for relationship learning, scholars postulated that channel safeguarding mechanisms(i.e., relationship specific investment and relational capital) influence channel performance through intervening relationship learning processes(i.e., learning via sharing information, learning via sense making, and learning via developing relationship-specific memories). In spite of the potential value of the model of relationship learning, few have subjected it to empirical testing. According to Scholars, bilateral governance is expected to be appropriate safeguarding mechanisms to handle substantial transaction cost and dependence. Expanding on this use of safeguarding mechanisms, we focus on the concept from an RBV perspective. Although Transaction Cost Economy has emphasized Relationship Specific Investments as a source of transaction cost, resource-based view literature has emphasized RSIs as a source of competitive advantage. Some researcher have argued that RSIs have a very positive effect that can contribute substantially to organizational transaction value. This study also believes relational capital is bilateral safeguarding mechanism that can contribute to transaction value, and is considered separate from market-based and unilateral governance safeguarding mechanism. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of relationship safeguarding mechanisms on relationship performances, such as, relationship efficiency and relationship effectiveness, and the effects of relationship leaning processes as mediators among them. To be concrete, this paper develops a model of the antecedents of two conceptually distinct forms of relationship performances, and tests the hypothesized differential effects of relationship specific investments and relational capital on them. And this paper investigates the extent to which these relationships are mediated by three conceptually distinct forms of relationship learning processes, such as sharing information, joint sense making, and developing relationship-specific memories. The reason why this study deals with department store distribution channel is that there is very strong inter-dependence between department store and its tenants. Their strong inter-dependence makes their relationship as a corporate marketing channel system and creates an atmosphere that relationship learning occur without difficulty. For the purpose of empirical testing, 250 respondents of tenants of department store industry in Korea were surveyed and the analysis utilizing structural equation model indicated that relationship specific investments and relational capital had positive effects on three forms of relationship learning processes, and developing relationship-specific memories had positive effects on two relationship performances. On the other hand, sharing information had no effect and joint sense making had partial effects on relationship performances.