Top Management Support Driving New Product Development Success Across the Automotive Industry
Keywords:
Leadership, Innovation, Automotive, Capability, DevelopmentAbstract
Achieving new product development success has become increasingly challenging as automotive firms manage technological complexity, substantial resource commitments, cross-functional dependencies, and persistent market uncertainty. This article examines the strategic role of top management support in strengthening new product development success within the automotive industry. The analysis focuses on how executive involvement influences development outcomes through strategic direction, resource commitment, cross-functional knowledge integration, technological capability development, and effective development governance. The findings indicate that top management support strengthens new product development success when senior executives maintain strategic continuity, secure critical resources, align specialised functions, and connect technological investment with development priorities. Its contribution, however, depends on the nature and intensity of managerial involvement. Excessive intervention may constrain experimentation, professional judgement, and decision responsiveness, whereas insufficient support may weaken resource continuity, strategic alignment, and organisational commitment. Effective executive involvement therefore requires a balanced approach in which strategic oversight is maintained without restricting the operational autonomy required by development teams. The article establishes top management support as an enabling organisational capability that strengthens the conditions necessary for successful development execution. This perspective advances understanding of how automotive firms can systematically leverage executive support to enhance innovation capability and achieve more consistent new product development success under increasingly complex technological and competitive conditions.
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