Exploring interaction-based antecedents of marketing-R&D collaboration: evidence from the Taiwan’s semiconductor industry

Abstract

Marketing-R&D integration has been recognized as a key success factor of the NPD (new product development) programs. Although previous research has differentiated two integrative approaches (i.e., interaction and collaboration), a theoretical gap remains unaddressed: whether there is a relationship between Marketing-R&D interaction and collaboration? Lack of knowledge at this point not only shows a cleft in theory, but also prevents us from offering useful guidance for practitioners to better NPD practices and results. The present research, from an interpersonal interaction perspective, explores and tests interaction-based antecedents of Marketing-R&D collaboration. The results of a survey of 94 semiconductor companies in Taiwan provide fresh evidence for the effects of selected predictors on the collaboration. In addition, the collaboration is shown to have different impacts on the NPD process and NPD output performance at a firm level. Both theoretical and managerial implications of the current research are also advanced in this manuscript.