TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving marketing–operations cross-functional relationships
AU - Piercy, Niall
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Collaboration between marketing and operational areas is critical to business success. Despite this, in practice most companies suffer hostile and adversarial relationships between these functions. Existing research has not sufficiently addressed methods for improving this situation outside of the large corporation or manufacturing sector. This paper seeks to address this shortcoming, investigating mechanisms to support better cross-functional relationships in the small–medium enterprise and in the service sector. Five case studies are presented of companies that displayed a-typically good relationships between marketing and operations groups. A cross-comparison is conducted to identify key themes and approaches that provide for and support good cross-functional relationships. Three key methods are presented and proposed as sources of positive marketing–operations relationships: (1) manipulation of pay/reward mechanisms; (2) clear strategy and strategic leadership; and (3) an explicit focus on bringing people together.
AB - Collaboration between marketing and operational areas is critical to business success. Despite this, in practice most companies suffer hostile and adversarial relationships between these functions. Existing research has not sufficiently addressed methods for improving this situation outside of the large corporation or manufacturing sector. This paper seeks to address this shortcoming, investigating mechanisms to support better cross-functional relationships in the small–medium enterprise and in the service sector. Five case studies are presented of companies that displayed a-typically good relationships between marketing and operations groups. A cross-comparison is conducted to identify key themes and approaches that provide for and support good cross-functional relationships. Three key methods are presented and proposed as sources of positive marketing–operations relationships: (1) manipulation of pay/reward mechanisms; (2) clear strategy and strategic leadership; and (3) an explicit focus on bringing people together.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955047617&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09652541003768095
U2 - 10.1080/09652541003768095
DO - 10.1080/09652541003768095
M3 - Article
SN - 0965-254X
VL - 18
SP - 337
EP - 356
JO - Journal of Strategic Marketing
JF - Journal of Strategic Marketing
IS - 4
ER -