Interfunctional Conflict, Conflict Resolution Styles, and New Product Success: A Four-Culture Comparison

• Published in: Management science Vol. 44; no. 12-Part-2; pp. S192 - S206
• Main Authors: Xie, Jinhong, Song, X. Michael, Stringfellow, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Linthicum, MD INFORMS 01.12.1998; Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Series: Management Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Conflict; Conflict Management; Conflict resolution; Cross cultural studies; Cross-cultural Study; Cross-function Integration; Cultural conflict; Economic models; Economics; Exact sciences and technology; General aspects; Innovation; Japanese culture; Management science; Manufacturing; Marketing; Marketing management; New Product Development; Product development; Production; Project management; Research and development; Product development; Manufacturing; New product; Conflict resolution; Conceptual analysis; Marketing
• ISSN: 0025-1909; 1526-5501
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.44.12.S192

This paper develops a model relating innovation success to the level of interfunctional conflict and conflict resolution methods. The model suggests a concave relationship between performance and the level of interfunctional conflict among marketing, R&D, and manufacturing. It also conjectures that both national culture and the level of interfunctional conflict influence the effectiveness of different conflict resolution methods. An empirical test of the proposed framework involves a survey of 968 marketing managers from Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, and Great Britain. The results provide general support for the model's predictions and reveal several significant cross-national differences.