Incorporating sustainability in the New Product Development process: An analysis based on the resource-based view

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how the company’s resources related to the New Product Development (NPD) process are arranged when sustainability is present in the corporate strategy. The relationships between resources and capabilities present in the technology and product funnels are analyzed, followed by a qualitative approach. The case analyzed is a market leader and pioneer company in Brazil with a sustainable approach in its processes and strategy. Different sources of data were accessed. 26 semi-structured interviews were made with different areas involved in NPD (technology and product development, planning, purchasing, engineering, process management, biodiversity management, marketing and sustainability). The case study sought to reinforce validity and reliability through multiple sources of information and access to the research documents for the interviewees. The analysis was based on the funnels of technology and product. The results suggest that when sustainability is present in the corporate strategy, the NPD process combines the existing resources with new ones, incorporating them into the guidelines concerning sustainability requirements, bringing innovation into the company’s practice. New actors also are present in the process and consequently the complexity is increased. Keywords: resource-based view, new product development, sustainability, case study.