A contingency model for studying R&D-marketing integration in NPD context

Abstract

For studying R&D-marketing integration in new product development (NPD) context, a contingency model and eight hypotheses are developed, in which a contingency framework is proposed to cover the interfunctional integrative mechanisms, the interface relationships between R&D and marketing during NPD processes, and the moderating effects of three situational factors. These hypotheses are empirically tested in a survey study involving 42 NPD teams from 105 firms in widely varying industries in Taiwan. In all, 126 usable responses were gathered from the team leader, R&D and marketing manager at each team, representing an effective response rate of 40%;. The results indicate that the five inter-functional climate mechanisms proposed in this study will contribute to R&D-marketing integration in NPD teams. The results also suggest that, to facilitate R&D-marketing integration, the effect of team formalisation could be the dominant of the various situational factors, and the perceived level of R&D-marketing integration relates positively to the team formalisation. On the other hand, under the moderating influences of the various situational factors, the effect of centralisation on R&D-marketing integration is divergent. However, the R&D-marketing integration of Defender teams is correlated negatively with the degree of team centralisation in the initial stages of NPD. Finally, it could be determined whether the Prospector teams belong to high-tech firms or not, the perceived level of R&D-marketing integration and of integrative mechanisms being higher than that of Defender teams.