Two decades of the Journal of Marketing Channels ’ research: Providing direction for the future of inter-organizational research

For over 25 years, the Journal of Marketing Channels was a hub for marketing channel research. Today, over 4,000 citations of the JMC’s exist in periodicals and publications from the field of marketing and beyond. In this work, we conduct a citation analysis of the most cited articles published in JMC and how the topics they reflect have changed throughout the years of the journal’s existence. We then thematically review the areas in which the journal has had the greatest influence, drawing both from specific works as well as the overall trends in research appearing in JMC since its inception. We then determine how some of the overall trends can guide researchers as they begin the transition into inter-organizational research. Five major themes have been identified including franchising, multichannel marketing, supply chain management, online environment, and international channels. Major obstacles in marketing channels have been addressed in this analysis. We conclude with a look toward shaping our understanding of various inter-organizational research in marketing channels and directions for future research in the inter-organizational behavior of these channels.