Cross-Cultural Differences in Intrachannel Communications: The United States and India

Abstract

Findings of a comparative study of intrachannel communication in marketing channels in the United States and India are presented. Two factors—the cultural environment and the degree of relational-ism in channel relationships—were posited to affect the nature of supplier-dealer communications. A survey of lighting equipment dealers in the two countries indicated that compared to the U.S. environment, the Indian environment was characterized by greater unidirectional communication from supplier to dealer, lower communication frequency, greater use of formal communication modes, and greater supplier use of direct influence strategies. A relational channel structure neutralized the differences in communication patterns due to cultural differences, however.