You have spent the last 20 years of your career in various marketing channel management roles with a variety of companies. One of the things you have learned is that channel conflict can be very destructive to all members of the marketing channel. Which of the following actions would you take to ensure that channel conflict does not occur in your current role?
A) Encourage each member of the channel to act in its self-interest.
B) Make sure the channel handles a diversified set of competing products.
C) Minimize the level of communication among members of the channel so conflicts do not get started.
D) Establish clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each member of the channel.
E) Maintain loosely defined roles and responsibilities for each member of the channel so each feels like they have some independent decision-making ability.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each member of the channel, everyone knows their place and what they are responsible for, reducing the likelihood of conflict arising due to disagreements about who should be doing what. Encouraging members to act in their own self-interest can lead them to act in ways that are detrimental to other members of the channel. Handling a diversifies set of competing products might reduce conflicts related to a specific product, but it is not a general solution to channel conflict. Minimizing communication among members of the channel will not allow for the free flow of information that is necessary to make the most effective decisions as a team. Maintaining loosely defined roles and responsibilities can lead to confusion about who is responsible for what, which can lead to conflict.

You Have Spent the Last 20 Years of Your Career