Recently, Professor Wang Ningning from the School of Economics and Management (SEM) at China University of Petroleum (East China) published a research article titled Channel Structures for a Dual-Purpose Firm: Direct, Retail, or Hybrid? in Production and Operations Management, a leading journal in the field of management. Professor Wang Ningning is the first author, and China University of Petroleum (East China) is listed as the first affiliation. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
The design of distribution channels is a central decision for any firm and organization. However, the classical channel theories based on profit maximization fall short in explaining the distribution management practices of emerging dual-purpose firms. Meanwhile, the rapid development of e-commerce provides enterprises with more channel deployment options. Under the combined influence of the “beyond profit” management philosophy and the boom of e-commerce, dual-purpose firms face new challenges in channel design. A critical management science question emerges: how to align the right channel structure with the firm's dual missions.
Through constructing a formalized game-theoretical model, Dr. Wang Ningning and Dr. Zhuoxin Li from the University of Wisconsin–Madison analyzed the fundamental mechanisms underlying channel design for dual-purpose firms from multiple dimensions, including profit, utility, and conversion efficiency. Among others, they find the distortions in pricing and quantity decisions caused by the interplay between hybrid channel structures and dual missions. This study addresses gaps in traditional models by offering a multidimensional explanation of channel management practices of dual-purpose firms, and makes significant contributions to the theory of distribution channel design. The work has been highly praised by editors and reviewers, who commended it as an “ambitious effort in channel design” and recognized its “important theoretical contributions to the field.”
Production and Operations Management is the flagship journal of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS). It is listed among the UTD24 and FT50 journals and enjoys a prestigious academic reputation worldwide. The UTD24 journals encompass disciplines such as management science, operations management, information systems, organizational sciences, strategic management, international business, marketing, accounting, and finance.
