Despite potent theory to contrast transactional governance in “markets and hierarchies,” the variety of extant channel systems strains this dichotomy. The authors examine three contractually integrated channel systems in the hardware industry: wholesale voluntary chains, dealer cooperatives, and independents. They extrapolate from a transaction cost perspective to frame hypothesized differences in decision making structures and competitive strategic postures across relational forms. Results from a sample survey of retail informants are generally supportive.
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