Unexplored antecedents of exiting in a marketing channel

Despite its importance to the maintenance of interfirm relationships and thus relationship marketing, comparatively little is known of exiting in marketing channels. This research proposes that exiting has novel antecedents that include loyal behavior, voice, and relationship neglect, in addition to relationship satisfaction and the cost to exit the relationship. The study results support this proposal in a marketing channel context, and provide some surprises including hints that it might be possible for wholesalers to identify retailers with relationship exiting potential in time to reduce that potential.