Thesis (DTech (Marketing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013. / During the past few decades, nation branding has emerged as one of the key strategies for national economic development. Many nations across the world, both developed and developing, have embraced the concept as they compete against each other for export markets, foreign direct investment, tourists, scarce human resources and international leverage and influence. Nation branding has now become one of the critical drivers for country differentiation and the creation of sustainable competitive advantages for nations. This thesis explores the concept of nation branding and investigates its applicability to Zimbabwe, a country which has been riddled with various socio-economic and political challenges during the past two decades. The main purpose of the thesis was to develop a model that can be used to re-brand Zimbabwe. This research study adopted a mixed-methods approach through the amalgamation of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. A survey questionnaire was administered to respondents who included Zimbabweans as well as people who are not Zimbabwean citizens. The qualitative phase of the research study consisted of depth interviews with various branding practitioners, managers in both the private and public sectors and academics inside and outside of Zimbabwe. Four summarised case studies were also carried out in order to draw lessons from cases of successful and unsuccessful nation branding programmes in different parts of the world. According to the research findings, Zimbabwe has a negative image on the global map. The country needs to be re-branded and the majority of Zimbabweans are willing to be part of this process. However, for the re-branding initiative to be successful there should be a comprehensive transformation of the country's socio-political, economic and legal systems in order to create an enabling environment that is conducive for the effective application of nation branding strategies. The findings further reinforce the notion that re-branding should be part of a broader national economic development strategy for the country. The thesis concludes with the propagation of two models viz, the transformative process model for the re-branding of Zimbabwe and the re-branding as a transformative learning process model.

Uma das principais características do ambiente organizacional é a velocidade com que o processo de globalização é impulsionado pela informação, a disponibilidade de novas tecnologias da informação e uma demanda crescente dos consumidores. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi examinar a relação entre os processos de gestão do conhecimento, inovatividade e inovação de produtos no setor têxtil Brasileiro, com base em um modelo teórico que representa o impacto positivo que os processos de gestão do conhecimento tem sobre a inovatividade e inovação de produto. Nesse contexto, essa pesquisa baseia-se nas teorias de Visão Baseada em Recursos, Visão Baseada em Conhecimento, Capacidades Dinâmicas e Difusão de Inovação. O método de pesquisa consistiu em uma abordagem quantitativa, seguida de uma abordagem qualitativa. A fase quantitativa, que incluiu uma pesquisa de 157 indústrias têxteis Brasileiras, permitiu testar o modelo teórico proposto, enquanto a fase qualitativa, realizada com entrevistas e análise de conteúdo, possibilitou a complementação dos resultados quantitativos. Na fase quantitativa, foi enviado um questionário estruturado às 157 indústrias têxteis de 13 Estados Brasileiros. Na fase qualitativa, os dados foram tratados por análise de conteúdo, através de codificação de categorização de entrevistas e análise aberta, axial e seletiva. Os resultados quantitativos mostraram que os processos de gestão do conhecimento influenciam a inovação do produto através do "processo linear", que difere do modelo proposto entre o processo de gerenciamento do conhecimento e a inovação de produtos. Os resultados qualitativos se originaram em um terceiro modelo; um modelo integrado de gestão do conhecimento e inovação de produtos. Os resultados qualitativos também indicaram que os processos de gerstão do conhecimento podem ser lineares e dinâmicos, o que gerou um terceiro modelo que abrange ambos os modelos propostos. Portanto, essa pesquisa contribui para a geração de dois modelos específicos. Um alternativo, que representa a realidade pesquisada onde os processos de gestão do conhecimento ocorrem um após o outro, resultando em inovação de produtos através da inovatividade. Um integrado, que une resultados quantitativos a resultados qualitativos, da visão de dez especialistas do setor têxtil brasileiro, com base em uma proposição linear de relações dinâmicas entre o processo de gestão do conhecimento e a inovação de produtos. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2017-08-22T16:32:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Paula Patricia Ganzer.pdf: 32929766 bytes, checksum: de484d8b6407064628546ce866ba3269 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-22T16:32:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Paula Patricia Ganzer.pdf: 32929766 bytes, checksum: de484d8b6407064628546ce866ba3269 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-22 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, FAPERGS. / One main feature of the organizational environment is the speed with which the globalization process is driven by information, the availability of new information technologies and an increasingly demand from the consumers. In this context, the objective of this research was to examine the relationship between the processes of knowledge management, innovation and product innovation in the Brazilian textile sector, based on a theoretical model that represents the positive impact that the processes of knowledge management Innovation and product innovation. In that context, this research bases itself from the theories of Resource Based Vision, Knowledge Based Vision, Dynamic Capabilities and Innovation Diffusion. The research method consisted of a quantitative approach, followed by a qualitative one. The quantitative phase, which included a survey of 157 Brazilian textile industries, allowed us to test the proposed theoretical model, while the qualitative phase, conducted with interviews and content analysis, made possible to complement the quantitative results. In the quantitative phase, a structured questionnaire was sent to the 157 textile industries from 13 Brazilian States. In the qualitative stage, data were treated by content analysis, through interviews categorization coding, and open, axial and selective analysis. The quantitative results showed that the knowledge management processes impact on product innovation through “linear process”, which differs from the proposed model between knowledge management process and product innovation. The qualitative results originated in a third model; an integrated model of knowledge management and product innovation. The qualitative results also indicated that the knowledge management processes can be both linear and dynamic, which generated a third model that covers both proposed models. Therefore, this research contributes to the generation of two specific models. An alternative one, which represents the researched reality where knowledge management processes occur one after the other, to result in product innovation through innovativity. An integrated one, which joins quantitative results to qualitative results, from the view of ten specialists of the Brazilian textile sector, based on a linear proposition of dynamic relations between knowledge management process and product innovation.

Abstract Management of product development activities has become increasingly important, as cycle times of product development have shortened. Smaller product development projects are often conducted rapidly at companies based on customer or sales requests to answer the need for faster cycle times. However, this is often done without fully realizing the impact of the new projects on the larger project portfolio or organizational effectiveness. The main objective of this dissertation is to increase knowledge on the use of agile development methods in small, rapid product development projects, and on the implementation of a rapid product development model. The dissertation is formulated as a qualitative, inductive study based on the research results of four original publications and a summary combining the results. The results of the dissertation show that it is beneficial to separate a rapid product development process for certain types of customer- or sales-initiated projects. A new rapid development model with principles and guidelines is introduced to help organizations facilitate this separation. The implementation of the model can be supported with agile development practices, of which self-managing teams are studied in more detail. There is significant overlap between case companies’ perceived success factors for rapid development and self-management. The results imply that a functional rapid development model can be utilized as a strategic asset at companies. The results also provide empirical evidence that agile development practices can be utilized in product development. In addition to providing empirical evidence in scientific discussion about combining product development and agile software development practices, the results can be used to create better definitions of product development processes in general. / Tiivistelmä Tuotekehityksen johtamisesta ja hallinnasta on tullut entistä haastavampaa ja tärkeämpää, kun tuotekehitysprojektien läpimenoajat ovat lyhentyneet. Yritykset tekevät kasvamassa määrin lyhyitä tuotekehitysprojekteja asiakaspyyntöjen tai myynnin aloitteesta vastatakseen markkinoiden vaatimuksiin nopeasta kehityksestä. Tällaisten nopeiden tuotekehitysprojektien käynnistäminen ja toteutus tehdään usein ymmärtämättä yksittäisen projektin vaikutusta koko projektiportfolioon tai organisaation tehokkuuteen. Tämän väitöskirjan päätavoitteena on tutkia ohjelmistokehityksestä tunnettujen ketterien kehitysmenetelmien käyttöä nopeissa tuotekehitysprojekteissa ja uudenlaisen nopean tuotekehityksen mallin käyttöönotossa. Tutkimus on tehty laadullisena ja induktiivisena tutkimuksena perustuen neljään itsenäiseen tutkimusartikkeliin ja näiden tulokset kokoavaan kokoelmaosaan. Tutkimus osoittaa, että yrityksille on hyödyllistä erottaa erillinen prosessi tietyntyyppisille nopeille tuotekehitysprojekteille. Tutkimuksen tuloksena esitellään malli, joka tukee tätä erottamista periaatteiden ja ohjeiden avulla. Tätä mallia pystytään tukemaan ketterillä kehitysmenetelmillä, joihin liittyen on erityisesti tutkittu itseohjautuvia kehitystiimejä. Case-yritysten havainnoimilla nopean tuotekehityksen menestystekijöillä ja itseohjautuvien tiimien ominaisuuksilla on havaittavissa suurta päällekkäisyyttä. Tulokset osoittavat, että hyvin käytetty ja määritetty nopean tuotekehityksen malli voi olla strateginen kilpailuetu yrityksille. Tulokset lisäävät myös empiiristä tietoa ketterien menetelmien käytöstä tuotekehityksessä ja hyödyntävät siten ajankohtaista tieteellistä keskustelua. Tuloksia voidaan myös hyödyntää muiden tuotekehitysprosessien käyttötarkoituksen tarkempaan määrittämiseen.

A severa degradação do meio ambiente, causada pela ação do homem nas últimas décadas, tem forçado as organizações a tomarem providências no sentido de reduzir os efeitos negativos causados pelas atividades industriais. Neste sentido, os indicadores de sustentabilidade têm crescido em importância, pois permitem avaliar o nível de sustentabilidade das mais diversas entidades, identificando os potenciais de melhoria e o progresso obtido. Apesar da grande variedade de indicadores existentes, ainda existem áreas pouco exploradas, como é o caso dos indicadores para o desenvolvimento de produtos na indústria de autopeças. Com o objetivo de contribuir para a criação de produtos mais sustentáveis, orientando o processo de desenvolvimento desde as fases iniciais, foi proposto neste trabalho um conjunto de indicadores de sustentabilidade, divididos em indicadores de sustentabilidade para produtos e indicadores de sustentabilidade para gestão de projetos. Estes dois conjuntos de indicadores foram definidos com base no estudo das melhores práticas e recomendações de projeto para o meio ambiente e sustentabilidade, nos indicadores de sustentabilidade existentes e nas necessidades da indústria automotiva. O resultado foi um conjunto de 23 indicadores de sustentabilidade para produtos, como o objetivo de avaliar as características técnicas do produto de forma quantitativa, e 26 indicadores de sustentabilidade para gestão de projetos, com o objetivo de avaliar se os principais aspectos e recomendações de projeto para a sustentabilidade estão sendo considerados ao longo do processo de desenvolvimento, de forma qualitativa. Para demonstrar a aplicação dos indicadores propostos, foi apresentado um exemplo, baseado no desenvolvimento de um novo componente para motores diesel, partindo desde o planejamento estratégico até a descontinuação do produto do mercado. O exemplo demonstrou que os indicadores definidos foram bastante úteis no sentido de orientar a equipe de desenvolvimento para a obtenção de um produto sustentável, com base nas metas definidas no início do projeto, podendo ser incorporadas ao processo de desenvolvimento por empresas do setor automotivo. / The severe environmental degradation caused by human activities in recent decades has forced organizations to take actions and measures in order to reduce or eliminate the negative effects caused by industrial activities. In this sense, sustainability indicators have grown in importance because they allow to assess the level of sustainability from various entities, identifying potential for improvement and progress achieved. Despite the great variety of existing indicators, there are still unexplored areas, such as indicators for product development in the auto parts industry. Aiming to contribute to the creation of more sustainable products, guiding the development process since the earliest stages, it was proposed in this work a set of sustainability indicators, divided into product indicators and design indicators. These two sets of indicators were defined based on the study of best practices and recommendations from various techniques such as design for environment and sustainability, study of existing sustainability indicators and the needs of the automotive industry. The result was a set of 23 product indicators, evaluating the product characteristics in a quantitatively way, and 26 design indicators, assessing whether the main aspects and techniques of design for sustainability are being considered throughout the development process, in a qualitative way. In order to demonstrate the application and use of the proposed indicators, it was presented an example, based on the development of a new component for diesel engines, starting from strategic planning to the product discontinuation from the market. The example showed that the defined indicators are very useful in guiding the development team to achieve a sustainable product, based on the goals defined at the beginning of the project, which can be incorporated into the development process for automotive companies.

Com um mercado global cada vez mais agressivo e competitivo, as indústrias têm buscado meios para se manterem competitivas. O Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos (PDP) ocupa um importante papel na estratégia das empresas que buscam um diferencial competitivo. Entretanto, para um PDP se tornar um diferencial competitivo, ele deve apresentar um patamar mínimo de maturidade, que representa o seu potencial de crescimento de capacitação, a riqueza do processo da organização e a consistência com que ele é aplicado em todos os seus projetos. Existem vários modelos que permitem avaliar a maturidade de um PDP. Porém, o Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) fornece uma solução integrada que abrange atividades de desenvolvimento e manutenção de produtos e serviços. Entretanto, ele foi originalmente criado para analisar indústrias de tecnologia de informação, não abrangendo os termos utilizados nas empresas de manufatura. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é propor uma estratégia que adapte parte do modelo CMMI-DEV 1.3, viabiliza e facilita o entendimento das suas metas e práticas para empresas de manufatura. Para isso, é apresentada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o CMMI-DEV 1.3, PDP de empresas de manufatura e estratégias utilizadas para adaptar termos de métodos, modelos ou ferramentas entre áreas de especialidades distintas, incluindo um detalhamento conceitual de seus itens para, posteriormente, identificar a parte do modelo a ser adaptado nesse trabalho. Após esta delimitação, os termos são correlacionados com termos similares aos encontrados na literatura de empresas de manufatura e validados através da revisão por pares. Visando verificar a eficiência da estratégia para adaptação dos termos, recorre-se a entrevistas com sete profissionais de quatro indústrias e um acadêmico, todos variando de três a quinze anos de experiência na área de PDP. Entre os resultados, o trabalho contribui com uma proposição para a adaptação de termos do modelo CMMI-DEV 1.3 utilizado em indústrias de TI para o PDP das empresas de manufatura. / Through a global market increasingly aggressive and competitive, many industries are seeking ways to keep competitive. The Product Development Process (PDP) plays an important role in the strategy of companies that look for a competitive advantage. However, for the PDP become a competitive advantage, it must provide a minimum level of maturity, which represents the growth potential of training, the wealth of the organization's process and the consistency which it is applied in all its projects. There are several models for assessing the maturity of the PDP, but the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) provides an integrated solution that covers development activities and maintenance of products and services. However, it was originally created to analyze the information technology industries, not covering the terms used in manufacturing companies. Thus, the aim of this work is propose a strategy to adapt the CMMI - DEV 1.3, enabling easier understanding of their goals and practices for manufacturing companies. For it is presented a review on the CMMI - DEV 1.3 PDP manufacturing companies and strategies used to adapt terms of methods models or tools among different speciality areas, including a detailed concept of their items in order to identify the part of the model to be adapted in this work. After this definition, the terms are correlated with similar terms to those found in the literature of manufacturing companies and validated through peer review. In order to verify the effectiveness of the strategy to adapt the terms, the study performed interviews with seven professionals from four manufacturing industries and one academic, all of them ranging from three to fifteen years of experience in the PDP. Among the results, the study contributes to a proposition for adaptation of CMMI-DEV 1.3 used in IT industries for the PDP of manufacturing companies.

A severa degradação do meio ambiente, causada pela ação do homem nas últimas décadas, tem forçado as organizações a tomarem providências no sentido de reduzir os efeitos negativos causados pelas atividades industriais. Neste sentido, os indicadores de sustentabilidade têm crescido em importância, pois permitem avaliar o nível de sustentabilidade das mais diversas entidades, identificando os potenciais de melhoria e o progresso obtido. Apesar da grande variedade de indicadores existentes, ainda existem áreas pouco exploradas, como é o caso dos indicadores para o desenvolvimento de produtos na indústria de autopeças. Com o objetivo de contribuir para a criação de produtos mais sustentáveis, orientando o processo de desenvolvimento desde as fases iniciais, foi proposto neste trabalho um conjunto de indicadores de sustentabilidade, divididos em indicadores de sustentabilidade para produtos e indicadores de sustentabilidade para gestão de projetos. Estes dois conjuntos de indicadores foram definidos com base no estudo das melhores práticas e recomendações de projeto para o meio ambiente e sustentabilidade, nos indicadores de sustentabilidade existentes e nas necessidades da indústria automotiva. O resultado foi um conjunto de 23 indicadores de sustentabilidade para produtos, como o objetivo de avaliar as características técnicas do produto de forma quantitativa, e 26 indicadores de sustentabilidade para gestão de projetos, com o objetivo de avaliar se os principais aspectos e recomendações de projeto para a sustentabilidade estão sendo considerados ao longo do processo de desenvolvimento, de forma qualitativa. Para demonstrar a aplicação dos indicadores propostos, foi apresentado um exemplo, baseado no desenvolvimento de um novo componente para motores diesel, partindo desde o planejamento estratégico até a descontinuação do produto do mercado. O exemplo demonstrou que os indicadores definidos foram bastante úteis no sentido de orientar a equipe de desenvolvimento para a obtenção de um produto sustentável, com base nas metas definidas no início do projeto, podendo ser incorporadas ao processo de desenvolvimento por empresas do setor automotivo. / The severe environmental degradation caused by human activities in recent decades has forced organizations to take actions and measures in order to reduce or eliminate the negative effects caused by industrial activities. In this sense, sustainability indicators have grown in importance because they allow to assess the level of sustainability from various entities, identifying potential for improvement and progress achieved. Despite the great variety of existing indicators, there are still unexplored areas, such as indicators for product development in the auto parts industry. Aiming to contribute to the creation of more sustainable products, guiding the development process since the earliest stages, it was proposed in this work a set of sustainability indicators, divided into product indicators and design indicators. These two sets of indicators were defined based on the study of best practices and recommendations from various techniques such as design for environment and sustainability, study of existing sustainability indicators and the needs of the automotive industry. The result was a set of 23 product indicators, evaluating the product characteristics in a quantitatively way, and 26 design indicators, assessing whether the main aspects and techniques of design for sustainability are being considered throughout the development process, in a qualitative way. In order to demonstrate the application and use of the proposed indicators, it was presented an example, based on the development of a new component for diesel engines, starting from strategic planning to the product discontinuation from the market. The example showed that the defined indicators are very useful in guiding the development team to achieve a sustainable product, based on the goals defined at the beginning of the project, which can be incorporated into the development process for automotive companies.

Com um mercado global cada vez mais agressivo e competitivo, as indústrias têm buscado meios para se manterem competitivas. O Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos (PDP) ocupa um importante papel na estratégia das empresas que buscam um diferencial competitivo. Entretanto, para um PDP se tornar um diferencial competitivo, ele deve apresentar um patamar mínimo de maturidade, que representa o seu potencial de crescimento de capacitação, a riqueza do processo da organização e a consistência com que ele é aplicado em todos os seus projetos. Existem vários modelos que permitem avaliar a maturidade de um PDP. Porém, o Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) fornece uma solução integrada que abrange atividades de desenvolvimento e manutenção de produtos e serviços. Entretanto, ele foi originalmente criado para analisar indústrias de tecnologia de informação, não abrangendo os termos utilizados nas empresas de manufatura. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é propor uma estratégia que adapte parte do modelo CMMI-DEV 1.3, viabiliza e facilita o entendimento das suas metas e práticas para empresas de manufatura. Para isso, é apresentada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o CMMI-DEV 1.3, PDP de empresas de manufatura e estratégias utilizadas para adaptar termos de métodos, modelos ou ferramentas entre áreas de especialidades distintas, incluindo um detalhamento conceitual de seus itens para, posteriormente, identificar a parte do modelo a ser adaptado nesse trabalho. Após esta delimitação, os termos são correlacionados com termos similares aos encontrados na literatura de empresas de manufatura e validados através da revisão por pares. Visando verificar a eficiência da estratégia para adaptação dos termos, recorre-se a entrevistas com sete profissionais de quatro indústrias e um acadêmico, todos variando de três a quinze anos de experiência na área de PDP. Entre os resultados, o trabalho contribui com uma proposição para a adaptação de termos do modelo CMMI-DEV 1.3 utilizado em indústrias de TI para o PDP das empresas de manufatura. / Through a global market increasingly aggressive and competitive, many industries are seeking ways to keep competitive. The Product Development Process (PDP) plays an important role in the strategy of companies that look for a competitive advantage. However, for the PDP become a competitive advantage, it must provide a minimum level of maturity, which represents the growth potential of training, the wealth of the organization's process and the consistency which it is applied in all its projects. There are several models for assessing the maturity of the PDP, but the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) provides an integrated solution that covers development activities and maintenance of products and services. However, it was originally created to analyze the information technology industries, not covering the terms used in manufacturing companies. Thus, the aim of this work is propose a strategy to adapt the CMMI - DEV 1.3, enabling easier understanding of their goals and practices for manufacturing companies. For it is presented a review on the CMMI - DEV 1.3 PDP manufacturing companies and strategies used to adapt terms of methods models or tools among different speciality areas, including a detailed concept of their items in order to identify the part of the model to be adapted in this work. After this definition, the terms are correlated with similar terms to those found in the literature of manufacturing companies and validated through peer review. In order to verify the effectiveness of the strategy to adapt the terms, the study performed interviews with seven professionals from four manufacturing industries and one academic, all of them ranging from three to fifteen years of experience in the PDP. Among the results, the study contributes to a proposition for adaptation of CMMI-DEV 1.3 used in IT industries for the PDP of manufacturing companies.

Uma das principais características do ambiente organizacional é a velocidade com que o processo de globalização é impulsionado pela informação, a disponibilidade de novas tecnologias da informação e uma demanda crescente dos consumidores. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi examinar a relação entre os processos de gestão do conhecimento, inovatividade e inovação de produtos no setor têxtil Brasileiro, com base em um modelo teórico que representa o impacto positivo que os processos de gestão do conhecimento tem sobre a inovatividade e inovação de produto. Nesse contexto, essa pesquisa baseia-se nas teorias de Visão Baseada em Recursos, Visão Baseada em Conhecimento, Capacidades Dinâmicas e Difusão de Inovação. O método de pesquisa consistiu em uma abordagem quantitativa, seguida de uma abordagem qualitativa. A fase quantitativa, que incluiu uma pesquisa de 157 indústrias têxteis Brasileiras, permitiu testar o modelo teórico proposto, enquanto a fase qualitativa, realizada com entrevistas e análise de conteúdo, possibilitou a complementação dos resultados quantitativos. Na fase quantitativa, foi enviado um questionário estruturado às 157 indústrias têxteis de 13 Estados Brasileiros. Na fase qualitativa, os dados foram tratados por análise de conteúdo, através de codificação de categorização de entrevistas e análise aberta, axial e seletiva. Os resultados quantitativos mostraram que os processos de gestão do conhecimento influenciam a inovação do produto através do "processo linear", que difere do modelo proposto entre o processo de gerenciamento do conhecimento e a inovação de produtos. Os resultados qualitativos se originaram em um terceiro modelo; um modelo integrado de gestão do conhecimento e inovação de produtos. Os resultados qualitativos também indicaram que os processos de gerstão do conhecimento podem ser lineares e dinâmicos, o que gerou um terceiro modelo que abrange ambos os modelos propostos. Portanto, essa pesquisa contribui para a geração de dois modelos específicos. Um alternativo, que representa a realidade pesquisada onde os processos de gestão do conhecimento ocorrem um após o outro, resultando em inovação de produtos através da inovatividade. Um integrado, que une resultados quantitativos a resultados qualitativos, da visão de dez especialistas do setor têxtil brasileiro, com base em uma proposição linear de relações dinâmicas entre o processo de gestão do conhecimento e a inovação de produtos. / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, FAPERGS. / One main feature of the organizational environment is the speed with which the globalization process is driven by information, the availability of new information technologies and an increasingly demand from the consumers. In this context, the objective of this research was to examine the relationship between the processes of knowledge management, innovation and product innovation in the Brazilian textile sector, based on a theoretical model that represents the positive impact that the processes of knowledge management Innovation and product innovation. In that context, this research bases itself from the theories of Resource Based Vision, Knowledge Based Vision, Dynamic Capabilities and Innovation Diffusion. The research method consisted of a quantitative approach, followed by a qualitative one. The quantitative phase, which included a survey of 157 Brazilian textile industries, allowed us to test the proposed theoretical model, while the qualitative phase, conducted with interviews and content analysis, made possible to complement the quantitative results. In the quantitative phase, a structured questionnaire was sent to the 157 textile industries from 13 Brazilian States. In the qualitative stage, data were treated by content analysis, through interviews categorization coding, and open, axial and selective analysis. The quantitative results showed that the knowledge management processes impact on product innovation through “linear process”, which differs from the proposed model between knowledge management process and product innovation. The qualitative results originated in a third model; an integrated model of knowledge management and product innovation. The qualitative results also indicated that the knowledge management processes can be both linear and dynamic, which generated a third model that covers both proposed models. Therefore, this research contributes to the generation of two specific models. An alternative one, which represents the researched reality where knowledge management processes occur one after the other, to result in product innovation through innovativity. An integrated one, which joins quantitative results to qualitative results, from the view of ten specialists of the Brazilian textile sector, based on a linear proposition of dynamic relations between knowledge management process and product innovation.

The rapidly evolving global market scenario raised multiple challenges for an organization such as: change in customer needs and lifestyle, increased competition, compulsion to enter into new markets, pursue to innovate and so on, which raises an additional challenge for organization to sustain and succeed. In order to meet these multiple challenges, continuous New Product Development (NPD) turns out to be one of the essential tasks for any organization to improve market share, profitability and to succeed. In this scenario, a new product portfolio with best mix of new projects that ensures strategic alignment, balance of portfolio and improves organizations’ potential gain is compulsion. However, From the literature, it is observed that, ‘As nearly half of initial NPD ideas occur informally or without a specific goal, even a best performing organization requires a major improvement in the decision making process of Project Evaluation and Selection (PES)’. This emphasizes the significance of decision on Project Evaluation and Selection (PES) of NPD. Additionally, huge investments and resources need to be employed based on decision that is taken at PES phase of NPD. Thus PES turns out to be a crucial and essential phase of New Product Process (NPP). All these stated aspects of this challenging and crucial strategic decision of PES provoke for the requirement of an efficient management system and decision making model. In the literature the management system and decision making processes for formulation of portfolio is termed as “New Product Portfolio Management (NPPM)”. Though various researchers have been focusing on this particular issue of improving NPPM Performance, from the analysis of literature, to the best of our knowledge, it is observed that no one has identified or considered an exhaustive list of possible evaluative dimensions while taking the decision on PES of NPPM (PES-NPPM). This thesis makes an attempt to address this research gap, and the scope of this study is pertained to three sectors of manufacturing industry, namely, Automotive, Electronics and Machine Tools. Accordingly, the main objective of this thesis is “ In order to achieve this particular objective the following sub-objectives, methodologies, and analysis are carried out. For this purpose, first and foremost analysis of literature on PES is carried out. Accordingly, five evaluative dimensions are identified for PES-NPPM and they are: (i) Strategic Fit; (ii) Portfolio-Innovation Balance; (iii) Risk-Uncertainty Estimation; (iv) Cost-Revenue Estimation and (v) Optimized Resource Allocation. Furthermore, it is observed that, there is no study considering all the five evaluative dimensions simultaneously for PES-NPPM either to analyze their impact on performance of NPPM or to develop a decision making model. Thus, we are addressing a new problem configuration in the area of PES-NPPM. Additionally, though the requirements of multi-criteria models for PES-NPPM is discussed both in academic and practioners points of view, the real demonstration of the applicability of multi-criteria models are given a scant treatment in the literature. . By the end of the achieving this objective, we identified five distinct evaluative dimensions which are used in different combinations for PES-NPPM. Further, for measuring each of these five evaluative dimensions, we identified 23, 11, 15, 10, and 18 measurement variables respectively. Based on the evaluative dimensions considered in this study, a framework work is proposed for PES-NPPM. Due to the limitation of empirical evidences on considering the identified evaluative dimensions and respective measurement variables towards the proposed initial framework for PES-NPPM, another exploratory study: a case study method is carried out. In addition to the process of triangulation, the case study approach is carried out to understand (a) significance and nature of the identified measurement variables of all the five evaluative dimensions for PES-NPPM, and (b) real-life practices in decision making process of PES-NPPM and to identify the requirements of decision making tools. Accordingly, 12 case studies (4 each) from three manufacturing sectors, considered in this study, are conducted. Further, 12 case study reports are prepared and inferences are drawn. The inferences drawn are verified by conducting an individual brain-storming session with 3 academicians and 4 practitioners. The detailed analysis of the 12 case study reports endorsed the necessity of considering all the five identified evaluative dimensions in the proposed framework for PES-NPPM. In addition, the case study analysis revealed some of the variables originally considered for measuring the evaluative dimensions are not really the measurement variables, whereas those variables are expected to impact the decision making environment of PES-NPPM (or) NPPM Performance. Further those non-measurement variables are classified into (a) Characteristic Variables of PES-NPPM, and (b) Moderating variables for NPPM. Based on this, case study analysis identified 8 characteristic variables and 8 moderating variables. This specific observation resulted to analyze further the existing literature in order to identify if there exist any additional variables which impact decision making environment of PES-NPPM (or) NPPM Performance. Thus, from the analysis of literature and case study analysis 17 characteristic variable and 13 moderating variables are identified. Additionally, For this purpose, Partial Least Square – Path Modeling (PLS-PM) (or) regression analysis is conducted depending upon type of variables with 104 observations (representing 34, 39, and 31 observations of the three sectors respectively) to analyze the relationships between characteristic and moderating variables on decision-making environment of PES-NPPM and NPPM Performance respectively. From case study analysis, it is observed that the decision making tool required should provide: (a) ability to incorporate judgmental scores along with financial and other quantitative metrics, (b) ability to attain a balance of portfolio and consider interactions among project, and (c) ability to provide alternatives and rank the alternatives. In addition to the observation drawn from the case study analysis on the need of MCDM based tool(s), analysis of the literature is carried out to verify the same. As this problem scenario considers both quantitative and qualitative data for the development of a decision making tool, an appropriate technique/methodology needs to be employed. Based on analysis of literature and the case study reports, this study proposes an integrated Data Envelopment Analysis and Balanced Scorecard (DEA-BSC) model for individual PES. Further, the proposed DEA-BSC model is extended for evaluation of new product portfolio. In the process of formulation of new product portfolio, first, every new product project is evaluated with the proposed integrated DEA-BSC model. Second, an algorithm is designed to generate alternate portfolios with the selected set of efficient new product projects. Then, DEA-BSC model is employed to evaluate the generated portfolios. At this step, an accumulation functions are proposed which considers interactions among projects. These accumulation functions determine the overall input and output of the portfolio along with interactions involved. Accordingly, the proposed integrated DEA-BSC model for portfolio evaluation is expected to result in a balanced portfolio with profitable new product projects. In addition, the workability of the proposed integrated DEA-BSC model is demonstrated by developing a suitable numerical example. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out on proposed DEA-BSC model to analyze the robustness of the results. In summary, this thesis examined a problem of decision making of NPPM. Further, this problem was retained with main focus on PES phase. Accordingly, the major contributions of this thesis are as follows: Identified an exhaustive lists of evaluative dimensions: (i) Strategic Fit; (ii) Portfolio-Innovation Balance; (iii) Risk-Uncertainty Estimation; (iv) Cost-Revenue Estimation and (v) Optimized Resource Allocation. Also identified the significance of these five dimensions in case of PES-NPPM. In addition, all the five evaluative dimensions are considered simultaneously for development of a multi criteria decision making tool for PES-NPPM. Identified the required measurement variables for each of the evaluative dimensions, considered in this study, that are essential for PES, and analyzed their influence on performance of NPPM. Identified and analyzed characteristic and moderating variables that influence decision making environment of PES-NPPM and performance of NPPM respectively. Identified the requirements of a decision making tool for PES-NPPM and developed an integrated DEA-BSC model for PES. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed integrated DEA-BSC model is considered to be the first hybrid model applied to PES-NPPM. Furthermore for implementing the proposed DEA-BSC model, an algorithm is proposed in this study and this is expected to assist decision maker for selecting the right set of projects for new product portfolio with higher development potential, profitability and minimize the associated risk. Identified possible project interactions caused due to external or internal factors and accordingly proposed an accumulation function to capture these interactions. Proposed an algorithm for formulation of new product portfolio and accordingly proposed a detail step-by-step procedure for implementation of the proposed integrated DEA-BSC model. Though this study analyzes the impact of characteristic variables on decision-making environment of PES-NPPM, we limit to link this impact to DEA-BSC Model. In this study, an attempt is made to capture the moderating effect on NPPM Performance, but this study limits to link this moderating effect in proposed DEA-BSC model. Finally, the validation of the workability of proposed DEA-BSC model is limited to the numerical example considered in the study and not to the real-life problems scenarios.

Abstract The importance of product development in companies has increased, as competition in many industries has turned global and product life cycles have become shorter. Despite the rich literature and the significance of product development in businesses, many organisations still struggle to develop products that meet market and customer needs. Furthermore, product development for a large number of international customers involves various stakeholders with conflicting needs. Thus, product development is increasingly complex to manage. This doctoral dissertation aims to improve the outcome of product development by clarifying the factors that initiate product development in companies, the relations of different external and internal stakeholders to these drivers, and how the needs of key stakeholders are obtained. The study focuses on the early product development phases of new product development (NPD) intensive companies that are based in Finland, but have major international operations and large customer bases. The research was carried out by collecting and analysing data from companies representing product development practices in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. The experiences of managers across different industries are utilised. This dissertation adopts a qualitative research approach, and surveys and interviews are utilised as the main data collection methods. This dissertation shows that many significant drivers for product development exist in companies. In addition, these drivers differ significantly between projects, companies, and even individuals. Based on the results, companies should clarify their product development drivers and align them among the relevant stakeholders to enhance the decision-making and focus of product development efforts. The study also reveals the relations between different external and internal stakeholders and the product development drivers, and the key stakeholders for the individual drivers. The results indicate that companies should identify the most important stakeholders based on the project drivers and allocate managerial attention appropriately. As expected, the research findings support previous studies by identifying customers as the most important external stakeholders in product development. On the other hand, the significance of product management among internal stakeholders is highlighted in the results. This dissertation indicates that companies should enable product management to lead collaboration with stakeholders close to customers in product development projects. The role of product management involves leading customer definition, representation, and customer needs identification for R&D. However, product management must also collaborate with many customer-related stakeholders in product development efforts. The main implication of this dissertation is a new managerial framework that, if successfully implemented, can significantly enhance product development outcomes by providing appropriate focus on customers and reducing unnecessary complexities through the clarification of the project drivers, the key stakeholders, and customer needs. / Tiivistelmä Tuotekehityksen merkitys yrityksille on kasvanut globaalin kilpailun ja tuote-elinkaarien lyhentymisten myötä. Lukuisista tutkimuksista ja tuotekehitystoiminnan tärkeydestä liiketoiminnalle huolimatta useilla organisaatioilla on edelleen haasteita kehittää markkinoiden ja asiakkaiden tarpeita vastaavia tuotteita. Lisäksi tuotekehityksessä isolle, kansainväliselle, asiakaskunnalle on mukana useita erilaisia sidosryhmiä, joiden tarpeet ovat ristiriidassa keskenään. Tämän takia tuotekehityksen johtamisesta on tullut entistä monimutkaisempaa. Tämä väitöskirja pyrkii parantamaan tuotekehityksen tulosta selventämällä tekijät, jotka ovat syynä tuotekehityksen aloittamiseen yrityksissä, erilaisten ulkoisten ja sisäisten sidosryhmien suhteet näihin tuotekehitysajureihin sekä miten tärkeimpien sidosryhmien tarpeet selvitetään. Tutkimus keskittyy tuotekehityksen alkuvaiheisiin Suomessa toimivissa yrityksissä, joilla on voimakas panostus tuotekehitykseen ja lisäksi merkittävää kansainvälistä toimintaa sekä suuri määrä asiakkaita. Tutkimus tehtiin keräämällä ja analysoimalla tietoa yritysten tuotekehityskäytännöistä sekä tuotantohyödykemarkkinoilla että kuluttajamarkkinoilla. Tietoa kerättiin myös eri teollisuudenaloilta. Tämä väitöskirja perustuu laadulliseen tutkimukseen ja tutkimusaineiston keräämisessä on hyödynnetty kyselytutkimuksia sekä haastatteluita. Tämä väitöskirja osoittaa, että yritysten tuotekehitykseen löytyy useita merkittäviä ajureita. Tämän lisäksi nämä ajurit eroavat merkittävästi projektien, yritysten ja jopa yksittäisten henkilöiden välillä. Tulosten perusteella yritysten pitäisi selvittää, mitkä ajurit ovat niiden liiketoiminnan kannalta olennaisimpia ja tarkentaa niitä tuotekehityksen päätöksenteon ja painopisteen parantamiseksi. Tutkimus paljastaa myös ulkoisten ja sisäisten sidosryhmien suhteet tuotekehitysajureihin sekä tärkeimmät sidosryhmät yksittäisille ajureille. Tulokset osoittavat, että yritysten pitäisi tunnistaa tärkeimmät sidosryhmät projektien ajureiden perusteella ja ottaa ajurit huomioon sidosryhmäjohtamisessa. Tutkimuksen löydökset tukevat aikaisempia tutkimuksia osoittaen asiakkaiden olevan tärkein ulkoinen sidosryhmä tuotekehityksessä, kun taas sisäisistä sidosryhmistä nousee esille tuotehallinta. Tämä väitöskirja osoittaa, että yritysten tuotekehitysprojekteissa tuotehallinnan tulisi johtaa asiakkaita lähellä oleviin sidosryhmiin liittyvää sidosryhmäyhteistyötä. Tuotehallinnan tehtäviin kuuluu asiakkaan määrittely, edustus ja asiakastarpeiden tunnistaminen. Tuotehallinnan pitää myös tehdä yhteistyötä useiden asiakkaisiin liittyvien sidosryhmien kanssa tuotekehityksen aikana. Tämä väitöskirja tarjoaa uuden johtamisen viitekehityksen, joka oikein toteutettuna voi parantaa merkittävästi tuotekehityksen lopputulosta. Projektin ajurien, tärkeimpien sidosryhmien ja asiakastarpeiden selventäminen varmistaa oikeanlaisen keskittymisen asiakkaisiin ja vähentää tarpeettomia monimutkaisuuksia tuotekehityksessä.