Title: Proposition of a systematics to qualify the cross-functional collaboration through the organisational communication for the development of services

Authors: Lisiane Caroline Rodrigues Hermes; Gunnar Gustavo Trindade; Cassiana Maris Lima Cruz; Janine Fleith De Medeiros

Addresses: Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil ' Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil ' Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil ' Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil

Abstract: The interfunctional collaboration configures one of the success-driving factors for the innovation market. However, the collaboration between different areas of the organisation is characterised by intangibility. Thus, coordination mechanisms between them must be formalised. In light of the exposed issue and considering the increasing competition in the higher education sector in Brazil, the present study seeks to comprehend how the service development occurs within a university, analysing convergences and divergences in the managers' speeches of the involved areas in order to, consequently, propose improvements. The research we conducted is explanatory and qualitative. The results allow us to affirm that the analysed institution does not have a formalised service development, as well as interfunctional collaboration presents gaps for being informal. As the main contribution, a systematics is proposed to qualify interfunctional collaboration through organisational communication practices.

Keywords: inter-functional collaboration; development services; organisational communication; cross-functional collaboration; new products; service; innovation; university.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2018.095540

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2018 Vol.17 No.3, pp.320 - 341

Received: 16 Sep 2016
Accepted: 03 Aug 2017
Published online: 09 Oct 2018 *

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