An Enhanced Framework for Improving Cooperation Between Marketing and Other Functions: The Differential Role of Integrating Mechanisms

In order to compete effectively in the marketplace,it is critical for marketing and other functional departmentsto work in harmony with each other. Building on the work of Griffinand Hauser (1996), an enhanced framework is proposed to furtherour understanding of when integrating mechanisms designed toincrease cooperation between marketing and other functions arelikely to be most effective. The framework suggests that theefficacy of an integrating mechanism varies across marketingsinterfaces with different functions—manufacturing, finance,and R and D. Further, the effects of internal and externalvolatility of an organizations environment on cooperation areincorporated into the framework. Implications for theory andpractice are discussed.