Social exchange relationships in tourism distribution channels: Evidence from Japanese accommodation providers

Abstract

Maintaining good distribution channel relationships is fundamentally essential. This study examines the exchange relationships between Japanese accommodation providers and traditional tour operators, utilizing Social Exchange Theory (SET). It aims to understand the antecedents and outcomes of relational exchanges, focusing on trust, commitment, and satisfaction within Japanese tourism distribution channels. The author constructed a structural relationship model and tested it using survey data collected from accommodation providers in Hokkaido, Japan. PLS-SEM via SmartPLS 4.1 was employed for statistical analysis. Results reveal that trust strongly enhances commitment, and via commitment, partially amplifies satisfaction. Commitment in turn reduces partners’ termination propensity both directly and through satisfaction, whereas trust lowers exit risk only through satisfaction, indicating full mediation. Additionally, communication quality, opportunistic behavior, financial dependence, and social dependence exhibit varying impacts on trust, commitment, and satisfaction. This study integrates Japanese cultural norms and channel structure to explain social exchange dynamics and extends commitment–trust theory beyond its predominantly Western evidence base, offering new insights into B2B relational exchanges in the Japanese tourism context. Results provide accommodation providers and tour operators with practical implications to foster long-term partnerships.