Purpose: To investigate inter-organizational management challenges and examine the transaction cost theory’s strengths and limitations in the design of management and control packages, as well as investigate how other theories can create a better overall understanding of control package designMethodology: The thesis uses critical realism in desk research where scientific articles are examined with the aim of a more holistic understanding of inter-organizational relations and control package designFindings: That control package design becomes more holistic using the resource-based perspective and institutional theory, in that companies understand their own resources’ control needs and strategic goal fulfillment. As well as an understanding of the organization of cooperation in relation to social and cultural influencesValue: Examination the possibilities of combining the transaction cost theory, the resource-based perspective and institutional theoryKeywords: Interorganizational relations, Management control package design, Transaction cost theory, Institutional theory, The resource-based view