Page 51 - DP-2-1

Design+ Legitimizing design thinking in companies

MEO, as part of a multinational organization with observations, and participants also filled out questionnaires
established innovation processes and a long history of anonymously.
DT, serves as a case study. Future research could explore
small- and medium-sized businesses’ national culture, Consent for publication
organizational climate, relationship quality between Consent for publication was obtained from all participants
employees and supervisors, and workplace settings. It involved in the study.
would also be valuable to compare organizations across
different countries. Availability of data
Furthermore, the relationship between professional The data used in this study can be accessed upon request
qualifications, employees’ attitudes, beliefs, and emotions, by emailing the corresponding author.
and DT success warrants further investigation. Elsbach and
Stigliani highlighted the role of empathy in DT, describing References
50
it as “an important signal of organizational cultural values 1. Johansson-Sköldberg U, Woodilla J, Çetinkaya M. Design
of collaboration and user focus.” Future research should thinking: Past, present and possible futures. Creat Innov
consider the individual perspective, contributing to the Manag. 2013;22(2):121-146.
literature on DT and micro-foundations. More research is doi: 10.1111/caim.12023
needed on the micro-foundational aspects of DT to better
understand the connections between people, processes, 2. Liedtka J. Perspective: Linking design thinking with
innovation outcomes through cognitive bias reduction.
and structures.
J Prod Innov Manag. 2015;32(6):925-938.
This research demonstrates that macrolevel national doi: 10.1111/jpim.12163
culture, mesolevel organizational climate, micro-level
relationship quality between employees and supervisors, 3. Seifried J, Wasserbaech C. Design thinking in leading
and views on organizational workplace all contribute European companies-organizational and spatial issues.
J Innov Manag. 2019;7(1):80-107.
to a better understanding of DT legitimacy. Moreover,
it complements an emerging stream in innovation and doi: 10.24840/2183-0606_007.001_0006
design management research, revealing that corporate 4. Wrigley C, Nusem E, Straker K. Implementing design
DT behavior is often best explained at the microlevel of thinking: Understanding organizational conditions. Cal
analysis. Manag Rev. 2020;62(2):125-143.
Acknowledgments doi: 10.1177/0008125619897606
5. Magistretti S, Bianchi M, Calabretta G, et al. Framing the
None. multifaceted nature of design thinking in addressing different
innovation purposes. Long Range Plan. 2022;55(5):102163.
Funding
doi: 10.1016/J.LRP.2021.102163
None.
6. Dunne D, Eriksson T, Kietzmann J. Can Design Thinking
Conflict of interest Succeed in Your Organization?; 2022. Available from:
https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/can-design-
The authors declare that they have no competing interests. thinking/53863MIT64123/chapter001.xhtml#h1-2 [Last
accessed on 2023 Oct 23].
Author contributions
7. Prud’homme van Reine P. The culture of design thinking for
Conceptualization: Mariana Passadouro, Rui Patrício innovation. J Innov Manag. 2017;5(2):56-80.
Formal analysis: Joaquim Casaca doi: 10.24840/2183-0606_005.002_0006
Investigation: Mariana Passadouro, Rui Patrício
Methodology: All authors 8. Carlgren L, Elmquist M, Rauth I. The challenges of using
design thinking in industry-experiences from five large
Writing – original draft: Mariana Passadouro firms. Creat Innov Manag. 2016;25(3):344-362.
Writing – review & editing: Mariana Passadouro, Rui
Patrício doi: 10.1111/caim.12176
9. Carlgren L, BenMahmoud-Jouini S. When cultures collide:
Ethics approval and consent to participate What can we learn from frictions in the implementation of

Consent to participate was obtained from all participants design thinking? J Prod Innov Manag. 2022;39(1):44-65.
involved in the study. Written data were collected through doi: 10.1111/jpim.12603

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 17 doi: 10.36922/dp.4292