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Abstract
The overall aim of this study is to explore the potential of Design Thinking to bring value to small firms through ambidexterity, which is essential to firms’ performance and survival. Specifically, we investigate how Design Thinking can benefit ambidextrous dynamics between small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers’ entrepreneurial and administrative mindsets. The empirical foundation of our study is in-depth qualitative data on 24 SME managers who participated in a two-year research project driven by Design Thinking. The study reveals that Design Thinking does put into motion the managers’ ambidextrous thinking. Some Design Thinking principles reinforce entrepreneurial thinking, some administrative management thinking, while others, again reinforce flexible ambidextrous management thinking.
Acknowledgements
Support by Ivan Tyrsted, “ReThink the Future project”; translator Helle Raheem; and EU funding is appreciated.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Suna Løwe Nielsen
Suna Løwe Nielsen holds a PhD in Student Entrepreneurship. Her main research area is the entrepreneurial process, and she has special expertise in design entrepreneurship, design processes, crisis and entrepreneurship, and SME succession, and Co-creation Management.
Poul Rind Christensen
Poul Rind Christensen holds a chair in design and innovation management. Current research in focus: Industrial Dynamics and SMEs; Design and Innovation Management in SMEs; Clusters and Co-creation Networks.
Pia Storvang
Pia Storvang holds a PhD in Design Management. Her main research interests are design and innovation management, strategy, Design Thinking, process facilitation, Project management.