The role of trust in the marketing and R&D interface during the NPD process: a general framework

A gap exists in our understanding of the role that "trust" plays within organisations that produce new products. Recent organisational research suggests that trust plays a more significant role in modern organisational structures than previously thought. Trust encourages efficient information sharing, it limits defensive behaviours, encourages citizenship behaviours, it leads to co-operation and teamwork, and encourages collaboration. The NPD literature has traditionally focused on "integration methods" which promote information sharing and interaction amongst participants. Trust has been viewed as a "by product" of these approaches. A framework is proposed which highlights the important role that management play in creating an environment conducive to the development of interpersonal and organisational trust. We argue that the traditional "integrating mechanisms" used by management for bringing together functional specialists should be used with a greater focus on building high levels of trust throughout the organisation which ultimately leads to greater collaborative behaviour amongst participants.