A Study on the Influence and Conflict and Satisfaction of Korea Food Nutrition Industry Distribution Channel
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Seo Young-Taek , Park Hyung-Moon , Seo Jung-Oak , Kang Sang-Hoon 
Published: June 2018

Influence strategies are compliance-gaining tactics that channel members use to achieve their desired actions from channel partners. Previous research on influence strategies has demonstrated their importance within channels of distribution. This research has examined many important issues, such as the effect of influence strategies on channel conflict, interfirm agreements, satisfaction, relationalism, and solidarity. Researchers have also examined antecedents of influence strategies, including power and dependence.
This study made an empirical analysis of influence and conflict and satisfaction of Korea food nutrition industry distribution. The target of sample survey was focused on shopkeepers of food nutrition related shops located in Seoul and Gyeonggi district. 200 copies of questionnaire were distributed and collected from August 16, 2010 through August 31, 2010, and 179 copies were analyzed except inappropriate replies or dishonest questionnaires.
This questionaries is made for franchise managers in food nutrition distribution industry. It consists of 44 questions. Among them, 6 questions are on business characteristics (general aspects) and 14 questions are on the amount of support, control and influence from the head office. Those 14 questions are again divided into compulsory influence (7 questions) and uncompulsory influence (7 questions), respectively. And other 7 questions are on horizontal conflict among managers while other 7 questions are for vertical conflict with the head office. The last 10 questions are on the satisfaction to the head office. The measuring methods used in the questionaries are nominal scale and 5 point scale, where 1 point indicate 'never', 4 point 'rare', 3 point 'normal', 4 point 'frequent', 5 point 'very frequent'.
The analysis results for Seoul and Kyonggi Province reveal that for the operation periods of the franchise, 7-10 year is 33.52 %, 5-7 year is 23.46 % and 3-5 year is 15.08 %. It means that the franchise operation is mostly stable in those areas. It is due to the fact that the food nutrition distribution industry is relatively easy to make profits compared to other industry while labor conditions are poor and it doesn't require 'specialized' skills of management. This study is on the influence and conflict and satisfaction of Korea food nutrition industry distribution channel by introducing a dummy variable which has the following rules: 0 for manager with more than 7 year operation period, 1 for manager with less than 7 year operation period, 0 for an outlet with more than 3,000,000 won sales, 1 for an outlet with less than 3,000,000 won sales, 0 for manager older than 41 year, 1 for manager younger than 41 year.
Analysis results of this study were as follows:First, it was found out that compulsory influence made a positive(+) impact on horizontal and vertical conflict. This study corresponds with the research result of Hunt and Nevin(1976), Lusch(1976), et al., who had reported the positive(+) relation of conflict and the source of compulsory influence. Hunt and Nevin(1976) report that frequent use of the source of compulsory influence causes resistance against controller. Therefore, it is implied with regard to the national food nutrition industry that a method to resolve unavoidable conflict is required in such a way that dealing organization should be managed not by compulsory influence but by inducements.