Process and output control in marketing channels: toward understanding their heterogeneous effects

Purpose Extant research has demonstrated that marketing channel control can produce both positive and negative effects. This paper aims to use meta-analysis to understand potential sources of those heterogeneous effects. This research also identifies areas in need of future research to help deepen the understanding of marketing channel control. Design/methodology/approach This study uses meta-analysis to quantitatively review some of the methodological factors that might explain conflicting results uncovered in previous empirical studies. Findings The results generally show a positive relationship between process and output control and their studied correlates. They also show that the effects of process and output control vary by the methodological factors used to study them. In particular, the effects of process and output control appears to be stronger in industrial (vs consumer) markets, service (vs goods) industries and in studies conducted in non-Western (vs Western) cultures; and output monitoring measures appear to be more effective than output control measures, yet process monitoring appears to be less effective than process control in marketing channels. Originality/value This original meta-analysis review of the literature on organizational control in marketing channels shows that the effects of process and output control vary according to the research context investigated as well as the specific measure of control used. The paper presents an agenda to guide future research on this topic to more fully develop knowledge of organizational control in marketing channels.