The R&D/marketing interface: Results from an empirical study of innovation projects

This paper explores the effect of organizational factors which characterize the interface between marketing and R&D, with respect to the innovation process. The basic premise is that the degree of collaboration/integration between functional units, such as marketing and R&D, has a profound influence on the success/failure outcome of innovation projects in industrial settings. Several important variables which influence the quality of the R&D/marketing interface are defined. These variables are related in an overall model which identifies several actions managers can take to improve the quality of the interface.