Determinants of joint action in international channels of distribution: The moderating role of psychic distance

Joint action, a key element of relational exchanges, has largely been ignored in the international channel literature, and not much is known about the determinants of joint action in cross-border exchanges. In view of this, the authors investigate the role of inter channel communication in motivating buyers for joint action in cross-border channel exchange relationships. The authors also propose and examine the moderating effect of psychic distance, a crucial aspect of crossborder exchanges. They use partial least squares to analyze survey data collected from Taiwanese importers, and the findings reveal that trust and satisfaction fully mediate the relationships between frequent and bidirectional communication and joint action. The authors also confirm the detrimental moderating impact of psychic distance on the relationships between communication facets and relational mediators (trust and satisfaction). However, psychic distance does not hinder the relationships between the relational mediators and joint action. The research provides insights into two underresearched areas-namely, joint action and intercultural communication-and advances theoretical understanding on how to encourage joint action in psychically distinct buyers and sellers.