INTEGRATING RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING - A COMPARISON OF PRACTICES IN THE JAPANESE AND AMERICAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES

The authors analyze survey information collected from R&D and marketin g managers working for American and Japanese chemical manufacturers. T he report three key differences in the R&D-marketing relationships bet ween Japanese and American firms. Those differences involve the proced ures for allocating the tasks between the functional areas, the activi ties assigned to each area as a result, and the potential for conflict between the two functions. Specifically, the authors find evidence th at R&D departments in Japanese firms have a larger role in new-product development than do marketing departments. American firms are not cha racterized by the same asymmetry in their relationship. Finally, the A merican firms studied did exhibit a greater potential for conflict bet ween functions.