Study goals
This article aims to examine the adherence of the procedures used in the development of new products in a large Brazilian company manufacturing heavy-duty automobile vehicles to the guidelines emanating from the Global Project Development (GPD) method.
Relevance / originality
The relevance/originality of the study resides in the development and practical application of an analytical model, built on the basis of a theoretical framework systematically examined and likely to be subsequently applied to other industries in the same field.
Methodology / approach
The study is exploratory and descriptive and qualitative and quantitative in nature. A survey with a five-point Likert scale and semi-structured interviews was used. . The unit of analysis was a multinational present in Brazil since 1997, which employs 1700 employees.
Main results
The result of the study can be summarized in an overview that portrays how employees directly linked to the development of new products perceive the way in which the company has conformed its process to the dictates of the GPD method.
Theoretical / methodological contributions
The theoretical/methodological contribution resides in the suggestion of a model to study the theme of adapting a production process to Global Product Development, explaining its analysis dimensions (4) and their respective indicators (14).
Social / management contributions
In the end, the study results in a management and planning instrument for the company by allowing, in a systematic way, to diagnose and suggest how to act for better adherence of the procedures used to the dictates of the GPD.