Malaysian Management Journal 2 (2), 93 - 104 ( 1997)
R8cD Marketing Integration in New Product Development:
The Case of the Telecommunications Industry in Malaysia (Preliminary Findings)
JAMIL BOJEI Unitmsiti Putra A!lalay.sici
Sclangor, i2/3nluysin
ABSTRACT
Key words: RlicI), marketing, integrated effort, R&D-Marketing integration, new product development, telecommunications industry.
INTRODUCTION
12’ith the accelerating rate of technological advancements, the state of technology a n d market c-onditioris are continuously changing and competitive pressure to keep abreast is high. R&L) not only needs to shine in its technical expertise, i t also needs to excel in translating market needs in to viable products and gearing t o anticipate needs. I n addition, in techriologv-based industries, technological complexit:‘, highly specialised groups within the organizations, 5hortt.r life cycles, a n d the need for rapid product development in the product development process make lateral a n d teani\vork w i t h i n a n d b e t w e e n organimtiori\ more important.
WHY INTEGRATE R8cD AND MARKETING S I 1 c c e cs f u 1 t e c h n 01 ocgy-base d c o m pan i es know from experience that invention in t h e laboraton. is important but is certainly n o guarantee of success in t h e marketplace.
Importantl\, according to Dover- (1985:33):
T h e most successful innovators a1 e those companies that thoroughly integrate their functional efforts. This is particularh true in highly advanced technology firms for the R&D a n d marketing interface. Further, marketing must play a ke) role nt each stage of the product development process, as active in strategic market planning prior to neM product conception as i t is in txtical m arket plan operation following product intr oduction.
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Moreover, most technoloE-based companies o f t e n h a v e r e s e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t capabilities Euperior to those of competitors, yet achieve only mediocre commercial success or fail completely. In addition, R&D o r marketing prowess singularly o r even coexisting in the same organization will not necessarily translate into financial success (Shanklin arid Ryans, 1987).
I n fact numerous studies indicate that i n o r d e r 1 0 s u c c e e d i n n e w p r o d u c t development, the firm needs to link R&D with Marketmg (Sounder, e t al., 1977, 1980, 1981, 1989; Gupta, et al., 1985, 1986, 1987;
