Abstract

This study was aimed to disaggregate the relationship commitment construct into organizational motives component and relationship continuity component and investigate the effects of the motives on relationship continuity. These motives were based on the three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment, which included affective, structural, and normative motives. Constructs associated with affective motives were relationship value and trustworthiness, whereas constructs related to structural motives were switching costs and comparison level of the alternatives. Corporate cultural similarity was proposed to be the key construct associated with normative motives. The results showed that all five constructs associated with the three groups of motives had significant effects on relationship continuity. Trustworthiness was found to have the strongest effect on relationship continuity, followed by relationship value, switching costs, comparison level of the alternatives, and corporate cultural similarity. In addition, corporate cultural similarity was found to moderate the effect of switching costs on relationship continuity.

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