Channel Conflict in Marketing

Abstract

Conflict is a common phenomenon when exercising power. It therefore seems to transcend all aspects of human endeavour. The marketing of products is not an exception. Therefore, because channel members operate as separate, independent and even competing forces, conflict has the tendency to set in. This paper therefore discusses three types of channel conflict which are: Horizontal conflict, Vertical conflict and Multi-channel conflict; causes of channel conflicts such as the need to share scarce resources, differences in goals, interdependence of work activities, differences in attitudes perceptions and values, ambiguously defined work responsibilities and communication problems; benefits of conflict; and the dysfunctional effects of conflicts. The paper concludes that although conflict is seen as having the tendency to destabilize a distribution system, it could also serve as a platform for healthy competition.

Keywords: Conflict; marketing, Channels; distribution system; products