This research was intended to investigate the effect of trust and commitment on vertical collaboration and physical distribution service quality in the soft drinks’ demand chains in Uganda.
The study was prompted by the fact that research on physical distribution service quality in Uganda is still sparse and the effect of trust and commitment on the performance of soft drinks demand chains is less explored. This study was purposely conducted to significantly contribute in this area by adding
knowledge on the factors affecting the performance of soft drinks’ demand chains. Data was collected from 270 manufacturers and distributors in Kampala District which is the capital city of Uganda. The findings revealed significant positive relationships between trust, commitment and physical distribution service quality. Commitment also had a positive effect on vertical collaboration
while trust did not significantly relate to vertical collaboration. The most significant predictor of physical distribution service quality however, was vertical collaboration and all the study variables accounted for 13% of the variation in Physical distribution service quality. This study contributes in the area of physical distribution service quality and also provides implications for theory and practice.