This article aims to develop, based on the Granger-causality test, a research technique to assess, in business sectors and as an alternative for case studies, the price strategies adopted by Brazilian companies. It focuses on the differentiation between those companies which use target costing as a strategy from those using the cost plus margin, or yet, from companies without a clear strategy for establishing prices and costs. Forty-seven companies from eight different segments were analyzed through Granger causality. In most cases, the results revealed a lack of strategy in terms of company price and cost management. Target costing was only predominant in the electric power distribution sector. The research results suggest possibilities for future studies.
Target-cost; Price and Cost Management; Granger Causality
