Creating Competitive Advantage in IT-Intensive Organizations: A Design Thinking Perspective

摘要

In this paper, we consider the role of design thinking and human computer interaction design (HCID) in shaping conditions for a long-term health of technology intensive organizations. Design thinking is gaining acceptance in management, strategy and leadership and is increasingly seen as a way towards finding solutions to complex problems of today's economy. We present our view on relationships between HCID and design thinking on one hand, and creative leadership, vision, values, knowledge and organizational culture on the other, as factors in shaping the competitive advantage for IT-intensive organizations. We find that, while HCID is systematically contributing to design of innovative technological solutions, it does so at a micro level, while design thinking holds a central position in our competitive advantage framework. Through a small case of innovation in the academic library, we provide insight in how design thinking and HCID facilitated changes in how the library sees its users, products, services and how it, subsequently, started changing its organizational vision, values, culture and knowledge.