Influence of Psychological Factors on Product Development: Lessons from Aerospace and Other Industries

This book focuses on the interrelationships of social, technical, and organizational aspects of the product development process. Cases observed in industry and research laboratories are presented and interpreted based on the socio-technical system approach (Emery/Trist) of examining the reciprocal relationship between the technical and the social subsystems. This book is primarily intended for engineering and quality professionals who want: -to know the limitations of current methods used in product development; -to examine the so-called soft factors by means of grounded studies of their effect on R&D performance; and -not only to acknowledge the influence of soft factors but to actively consider their potential to improve the work environment.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 379-395) and indexes.

This book focuses on the interrelationship of social, technical, and organizational aspects of and related to the product development process. It originated from activities in practice in industry and research laboratories. In order to ensure relative autonomy from the short-term economic interests of a given industrial branch or specific company, the research for this work was first conducted in pursuit of a PhD thesis intended to provide practice-oriented results. With the ansatz practice theory practice, a generalizable approach was achieved. It then evolved to cover additional issues brought forth by recent cases in the aerospace industry, among others. A combination of scientific methodologies is used to focus on the psychological factors that influence the quality of technical product development processes. The basic framework is provided by the grounded theory a qualitative approach, in which data was not only collected by this author but is extended to cases from the history of technology described in the published literature. The inclusion of historical cases is possible, thanks to the availability of sufficiently detailed descriptions for examination in terms of the grounded theory principles. They appear in the Appendix. Cases cited were verified by comparing them with contrasting viewpoints from various sources. I was able to examine and complement some cases by contacting persons associated with the programs analyzed. Quantitative studies are also integrated in this research to verify the elements resulting from the grounded theory integration."

Eginaldo Shizuo Kamata holds a degree in Electronics Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, Brazil, as well as a Ph.D. in Administration Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. He draws on profound academic research as well as a wealth of practical experience in avionics, telecommunications, systems control, and the space industry. His professional biography includes activities in development, quality of development, reliability, testability, and university lecturing. He also holds a commercial pilot license.

Contents. Acknowledgments. Foreword by Eberhard Ulich. Summary. 1. Quality of Product Development. 2. Historical Context. 3. Shaping the Development Environment. 4. Intrapersonal Factors. 5. Interpersonal Aspects. 6. Shaping the Tasks and Associated Roles. 7. Generalization or Particularization? 8. Concluding Remarks. Appendix: Scientific Approach. References. Persons index. Index.