Final answer:
Glo-Brite Company is in the Product analysis phase where they estimate development costs to assess profitability and economic impact. This phase uses mathematical models and considers both financial returns and potential societal benefits. It is akin to evaluating financial capital for R&D like the Gizmo Company's approach to household gadgets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phase of product development that Glo-Brite Company is illustrating by creating estimates of the costs involved in the development of a new children's toothpaste in fun-shaped dispensers is E) Product analysis. During this phase, the company's product development engineers evaluate the financial feasibility of the new product to determine its profitability by assessing the predicted costs against potential sales and market demand. This part of the process involves mathematical models to estimate costs, normalize them, and analyze the cost on a cost per unit basis, which could be the cost per thousand units in production, in this case likely per thousand dispensers or toothpaste units.
These estimates not only serve the financial analysis but also assist in understanding the social benefits of the investment if viewed from a wider economic standpoint. In a similar vein, when companies explore the financial capital for research and development, they may take into account the social benefits as well, such as an additional return on investment for society beyond the direct financial return to the company. This broader impact, as seen in the case of the Gizmo Company, could involve a higher rate of return when factoring in the societal benefits.