Managing cooperative research and development ventures

Abstract

As cooperative ventures to conduct research and development become increasingly attractive, management of these collective undertakings poses new challenges to executives. In selecting the most appropriate organizational structure and strategy the author suggests that the collective enterprise executive must strike the best balance among three distinct but related elements: contribution of the participants; creation of benefits; and transfer of benefits to contributors. Eight types of cooperative R&D ventures are proposed with discussion of the unique management tasks associated with each type.