Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1995

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Business Administration

Major Professor

David J. Barnaby

Committee Members

Michael Song, Dudley Dewhirst, Michael J. Stahl

Abstract

290 marketing and R&D managers from 188 electronic manufacturing firms participated in a survey that considered three major issues: 1) how firms pursuing unique strategies differ in their conflict handling mechanisms; 2) how conflict handling behaviors relate to constructive conflict outcomes; and 3) how constructive conflict outcomes affect new product success.

Findings indicate that conflict handling methods vary significantly between aggressive new product developers (Prospectors) and non-aggressive new product developers (Defenders). For example, aggressive firms have higher levels of integrative behaviors, while non-aggressive firms have higher levels of avoiding and forcing behaviors. Integrative conflict handling behaviors were found to be positively associated with constructive conflict, while forcing and avoiding behaviors negatively impacted positive outcomes. Finally, constructive conflict was found to be positively associated with new product performance.

It was concluded that managers could use an understanding of their firm's strategic position to help them manage conflict situations within the new product development process to improve new product success. Based on study results, ten managerial prescriptions for new product managers and their firms are presented.

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