Human-Centred Organization Design

Abstract

The key aim of this article is to give a contribution to a design-oriented definition of organization design, with the human-centred approach to design (HCD) serving as the epistemological tool. Highlighting organizational identity as a facilitator or inhibitor of organization design change, the paper shares HCD’s focus on meaning with Verganti’s theory of design-driven innovation. An explanatory model is put forward detailing the steps in the process of linking the top-down changes from strategy or product innovation initiatives, as well as bottom-up changes emerging from organizational practices and relationships, with organizational design change. Organizational identity is defined as a superordinate conveyer and transformer of meaning and purpose, assuming different roles in the creation and dissemination of meaning, internally, as well as to and from the organization and the external environment. The paper ends with a number of recommendations about the need to focus on the management of identity.

Keywords:

• organization design
• organizational identity
• design management
• design change
• human-centred design

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rodrigo Magalhães

Rodrigo Magalhães is Professor of Information Systems and Organization, currently serving as Dean of Student Affairs at the Kuwait College of Science and Technology. He is an active researcher at the Centre for Organization Design and Engineering, INOV, Lisbon, and at the Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University do Algarve, both in Portugal. He was formerly a faculty member at the School of Management and Economics at the Catholic University of Portugal, and he held a visiting position at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal. Prof. Magalhães is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal newly established by Springer Organization Design and Enterprise Engineering, and has an extensive publishing record in the areas of organization design, organizational change, information systems, knowledge management, organization learning, e-HRM, and e-learning. He holds a PhD from The London School of Economics, University of London.