This paper revisits the Buckin vs. El-Ansary-Robicheaux debate of control in the marketing channel. The major weaknesses of these two papers are: using only economic variables to explain behavior and not clearly explaining the role of resentment in the way in which control is accepted. This paper briefly outlines the papers and critiques them to form a base for an alternate model. An alternate model is proposed using only behavioral phenomena, tolerance and resentment as dependent variables of control. The new model captures different stages of control based purely on behavioral variables.

Behavioral approach to management of channels has been spearheaded by Louis W Stern since 1960s (Stern, 1969). Since the publication of his seminal effort cited, much work has been done in the area, and this continues in the 21st century too (Chen et al., 2001; Myers and Harvey, 2001; Wilkinson, 2001). A paradigm shift has occurred in studying marketing channels, from studying transactions to studying relational aspects in recent years (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2000). The authors have moved away from considering controlling-cum-leading by the manufacturer to maintaining-relationship paradigm. A common thread among the works in recent times is that less mention of "control" is witnessed and more of coordination, trust and relationship are used. The underlying motive still is to help the principal—as used in Agency Theory (Eisenhardt, 1988)—to gain from the relationship, not merely in the short-term but over a longer time frame. This does not, however, eliminate a finer understanding of the theory of control in marketing channels.

Theory of Channel Control: Revisiting an Old Debate,control, channels, marketing, variables, papers, paradigm, relationship, resentment, behavioral, century, accepted, common, channel, controllingcumleading, dependent, critiques, Eisenhardt, economic, maintainingrelationship, manufacturer, management, outlines, Parvatiyar, Behavioral, relational, revisits, seminal, shortterm, spearheaded, tolerance, transactions, understanding, weaknesses, witnessed