By entering into transactions with independent firms, companies seek to combine the benefits of specialization with the benefits of supervising and coordinating internally organised transactions. In distribution channels, such exchanges may exacerbate a manufacturers risks and vulnerability; thus, control systems may play a crucial role in these relationships. A new challenge has surfaced in tackling questions such as the objectives companies pursue when implementing control systems in their distribution channels; the mechanisms used and the role they play; and the implementation process and...