RESEARCH VERSUS DEVELOPMENT - DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

Results of a field study designed to assess structural and communication differences between research units and development units are presented. The authors found that development units were characterized as having more routine jobs, having more interunit dependence and coordination, having more communication outside the work unit but less within the larger organization, and were less tightly structured than research units. These results are somewhat contrary to commonly accepted notions of structuring and controlling research and development units. Results are integrated with traditional notions about managing research and development in the context of more recent requirements of research units to be more accountable and effective than previously appreciated.