Politics and collaboration during NPD projects

Effective cross-functional relationships (CFRs) are a key success factor in developing successful new products for many companies. This paper adds to our existing knowledge on the Marketing/R&D CFR by examining the effects of communication behaviours, micropolitics and interpersonal trust on the dependent variable, interpersonal collaborative behaviour during NPD activities. Interpersonal collaboration is seen as a higher level of working relationship which incorporates a volitional and trusting aspect to working relationships. Our findings reveal that the perception of the Marketing Manager as a political ally has a positive effects on interpersonal collaborative behaviour. Further, affect-based trust has a strong effect on collaborative behaviours indicating that a benevolence aspect of working relationships is critical for collaborative behaviours to emerge during NPD

It\u27s all about the money: adding value to industry through industrial design-led innovations

There are a lot of studies describing the importance of university-industry engagement (Shane, 2004; Friedman and Silberman, 2003; Jensen et al., 2003; Link et al., 2003, D\u27Este and Patel, 2007), however very few describe the detailed working relationships required to satisfy both the university and the company involved. More importantly, there is limited work done showing the value of such engagement from a commercial point of view. This study provides an authoritative guide for understanding successful engagement with industry to help manufacturers diversify their output to increase profit margins and sustain production in often declining industries. This study plays particular focus to industrial design-led innovations for manufacturers directly associated with the demise of the Australian automotive sector. Research-led practice in industrial design shows the importance of new product options for these struggling automotive supply companies and the manner in which this is done successfully is discussed with evidence from recent activities completed for prominent Australian automotive suppliers. Following this, customer engagement through sales and marketing, the value issues, the value for customers and the value for companies engaging with universities is described to provide a clear method of engagement from initial meeting through to commercially viable outcome

Developing CSR giving as a dynamic capability for salient stakeholder management

In this paper, we draw upon the emerging view of strategic cognition and issue salience and show that CSR giving has evolved into more than an altruistic response to being asked for support, to one which is embedded in the strategic frames of management and which supports organizational identity. The managerial action as a result of such strategic cognition suggests that modern organizations are seeking to develop CSR giving processes that provide them with a competitive advantage. We draw on the resource-based view of organizations and the VRIO framework to provide the theoretical foundations for our argument that CSR implementation in the form of corporate giving to charities can be developed as a dynamic capability. This can provide a competitive advantage by allowing organizations to manage key stakeholder relationships (external and internal) more effectively with benefits which could lead to increased organizational productivity and the ability to execute strategy more effectively. We interview CSR implementation managers from large organizations in Australia and find that the CSR giving process in many firms is evolving into a more sophisticated and strategically motivated process with expectations of a return. Central to this evolution is the appointment of a CSR implementation manager who acts as a boundary spanner between the organization and its key stakeholders. We posit that this corporate investment in their role and supporting structures can lead to the better management of stakeholders by organizations through the dynamic capability of the CSR giving process. We develop a table of best practise to help guide managers entering this sphere

A Praxis framework for implementing market orientation into charities

There is a scarcity of research regarding the process of introducing market orientation into the not-for-profit sector. Understanding this process would greatly assist the not-for-profit sector, which is under increasing pressure to obtain funds to operate and offer appropriate services. In this article, we examine the successful introduction of market orientation into three Australian charities and identify the stages of implementation. The introduction of market orientation is analyzed from a discourse transformation perspective and a praxis framework is developed. This is amongst the first studies examining the transition to a market orientation discourse within charity organizations and the first study to develop a praxis framework to guide managers. The study also pioneers a discourse transformation perspective in market orientation research. The article thus extends our knowledge of market orientation within the not-for-profit sector and increases understanding of practitioner engagement in marketing activities

Three-Dimensional Stability Analysis of the Central Rotunda of the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa, Alexandria, Egypt

A three-dimensional numerical model has been proposed of the central Rotunda of the catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa with its six supporting rock pillars, excavated in sandy oolitic limestone deposit. The model was based on a 3D realistic simulation of the problem geometry. The required input for the analysis (strength and deformability of the rock materials) was derived from laboratory tests and empirical assessments. The rock mass in general is normally widely jointed (\u3e 1 m). In the analysis it is considered as an un-jointed homogeneous medium with low strength. Where 2D analysis fails to model properly the column behaviour, we use 3D modeling to evaluate the stress state in the supporting rock pillars of the excavated Rotunda, taking into account their 3D arrangement.. The results of the numerical analysis on the central supporting Rotunda show that some surface subsidence was induced during excavation of the catacombs. In particular, the displacement developed at the surface above the Rotunda reaches a maximum of 3 mm. This numerical result corroborates the observed displacements in the underground structures and the surface subsidence. The first part of this paper presents a comprehensive geotechnical survey undertaken in the archaeological site, comprising geophysical ambient noise measurements along with field and short- and long-term laboratory experiments, in order to define the physical, mechanical and dynamic properties of the soils and soft rock materials. The second part presents the main results of the detailed 3D numerical analysis of these underground monuments, using an advanced soil-rock elastoplastic modelin

Building sustainability into services marketing: expanding decision-making from a mix to a matrix

In line with the AMA\u27s revised (2007) definition of marketing, which aligns with the societal marketing orientation by requiring that Marketing create value not just for individual consumers and organisations but also for society at large, this paper proposes a Sustainability Services Marketing (SSM) framework. At present, services marketing managers have little guidance on how to pursue sustainability and achieve sustainable development goals. The SSM addresses this gap in a systematic, holistic and transparent way by ensuring sustainability cascades through the strategic marketing planning process. The traditional services marketing mix is expanded to include partnership, and the eight elements are cross-referenced against the three pillars of the triple bottom line - Planet, People and Profit - to produce the Sustainability Services Marketing Matrix (SSMM). The model is described and illustrated with brief case examples, and implications for theory and practice, and potential directions for further research are discussed

Relationship initiation between universities and industry: best practice model

Poster only

The antecedents and consequences of the marketing manager and R&D manager working relationship during new product development: an empirical study

The antecedents and consequences of \u27interdepartmental working relations\u27 have been examined in detail in the new product development (NPD) literature, however, less attention has been given to the relationship between functional managers at the interpersonal level. The study presented in this thesis developed and empirically tested a model of the antecedents and consequences of the working relationship between the Marketing Manager and R&D Manager at the NPD project level. By including interpersonal trust as a two-dimensional construct (affective and cognitive-based trust) and conceptualising it as a key mediating variable, the study provides great explanatory power regarding the interplay of important interpersonal dynamics such as communication frequency, quality of communication, functional conflict and interpersonal collaborative behaviour on the dependent variable of perceived relationship effectiveness. Further, the role that interpersonal politics play in shaping working relationships has not been previously addressed in the NPD literature and the new construct of \u27Perceptions of the Marketing Manager as a Political Ally\u27 was found to be one of the key antecedents of interpersonal trust and positive relationship dynamics. The data used to test the conceptual model was collected from 184 technically-trained respondents (e.g., R&D Managers and Engineers) from Australian firms predominantly involved in manufacturing activities. The model tested was found to be rich in meaning and explained 80.5% of the variance in Perceived Relationship Effectiveness thus providing a greater understanding of the complexities of the working relationship at the Manager level than previous conceptualisations

The effectiveness of the R&D / marketing working relationship during NPD projects

The complex nature of new product development (NPD) activities within firms often requires high levels of integration between the Marketing function and the Research and Development (R&D) function. The nature of this cross-functional relationship has received considerable research attention with an emphasis on achieving successful departmental integration during NPD projects. This study examines the nature of cross-functional relationships (CFRs) from a micro-management perspective. That is from the perspective of the R&D Manager and the Marketing Manager, continues previous conceptual development by (Anon) that suggested that this working relationship is more complex than previously conceptualised by NPD researchers. By using data collected from 184 Australian NPD projects, this study provides empirical support for the proposition that interpersonal trust (affective and cognitive), interpersonal conflict (functional and dysfunctional) and interpersonal collaborative behaviour, do indeed have a strong association with new product project success

Frequency of communication within NPD projects: Implications for key measures of success

The nature of cross-functional relationships during NPD projects has received considerable research attention with an emphasis on achieving successful integration. To achieve this functional integration new product development activities often require functional specialists to communicate with one another to achieve their respective task goals. This study examines the frequency of communication within NPD projects as reported by R&D Manager from 184 Australian NPD projects. We find that informal methods of communication have a positive relationship with three key NPD outcome variables such as perceived relationship effectiveness, interpersonal collaboration and NPD project success. This study provides empirical support for the proposition that while formal communication methods are useful in NPD activities the communication process should not be overly formalized and thus prevent informal communication to occur between managers