Differences between Short and Long‐term Relationships: An Empirical Analysis in Franchise Systems

Abstract

The moderating role of duration on the effects of trust and commitment on relational outcomes has been examined in the marketing literature in business‐to‐consumer contexts, but its application to business‐to‐business settings has been somewhat neglected. The current study tries to fill this gap by examining the moderating role of duration in the effects of trust and commitment on satisfaction and intention to continue a relationship. It examines a particular aspect of business‐to‐business marketing from a dyadic perspective: the franchisor–franchisee relationship. Measures were developed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Structural equation modelling was used to test the model based on data from a survey of 107 franchisors and 102 franchisees operating in Spain. Results highlight the moderating effect of duration from the franchisees' perspective.