An Examination Into the Possible Sources of Problems Inherent in the Marketing/R&D Interface

Abstract

The primary objective of the following study has been to examine the Marketing/R&D interface in major corporations with a focus in three major areas. The first pertains to a number of general issues commonly discussed in this important interface. The second area is that of the relevance of the marketing concept to developing new products (of all kinds). The third and final focus of this study has been upon the personality traits believed to be characteristics of Marketing and R&D professionals as groups. The results indicate that differences do exist in perceptions with respect to a number of issues in section I, especially satisfaction with these matters. Also, R&D and Marketing differ significantly with respect to their views on the relevance of the marketing concept to new product development. Finally, the two groups of personnel have been found to be significantly different in five out of sixteen personality factors. These results serve to stress in importance the value of project/product teams as well as management attention, commitment, and support (monetary and otherwise).