Marketing and logistics cooperation problems in Latvian companies

The given article analyses the discrepancies in the tasks of marketing and logistics and cooperation problems between these two areas within a company, as well as defines the role of these disciplines in the common system of business management. The authors point out the necessity of effective cooperation of marketing and logistic resulting in efficiency growth of the company and in improvement of competitiveness by means of collaboration synergy. Authors propose the results of the inquiry carried out in Latvian companies, revealing the most popular models of integration of marketing and logistics within the company and main cooperation problems between the departments of marketing and logistics. Authors reveal the reasons of competitive weakness of the companies caused by the insufficient evaluation of the fundamental necessity to integrate marketing and logistics as well as by the ignorance of the company management regarding the maintenance of effective cooperation between the departments of marketing and logistics departments, decreasing the competitiveness of Latvian companies. (c) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.