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Book part
Publication date: 8 November 2010

Ulla Johansson and Jill Woodilla

This chapter considers problems and opportunities for design and management to contribute to creating a sustainable world. We consider the epistemology of two discourses bridging…

Abstract

This chapter considers problems and opportunities for design and management to contribute to creating a sustainable world. We consider the epistemology of two discourses bridging design and management, design management and design thinking, and that of appreciative inquiry, which we suggest has much in common with design thinking. We discuss problems with combining discourses from different paradigms, and highlight opportunities when paradigms are similar. We illustrate these opportunities with examples of three projects lead by designers, and comment on ways these discourses contribute to the concept of sustainability and ways in which practitioners create sustainable value.

Details

Positive Design and Appreciative Construction: From Sustainable Development to Sustainable Value
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-370-6

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Nathalia de Paula and Silvio Melhado

The objective of this paper is to draw up management guidelines on environmental sustainability for architectural and engineering design firms.

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to draw up management guidelines on environmental sustainability for architectural and engineering design firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is derived from a research experience between 2010 and 2018. That experience comes from three source sets: Management Development Program for Design Firms from the Research Line of Management Design, Department of Civil Construction Engineering, University of São Paulo in Brazil; papers including a doctoral thesis; and literature review. Revisiting and investigating processes were conducted by research questions, resulting in lessons learned, management difficulties and guidelines.

Findings

The guidelines were drawn up from a strategic sphere, understanding internal and external factors to the firm, diagnosis of the firm's management and sustainability, a building sustainability plan, implications of the plan for management processes, plan monitoring and control and plan evaluation.

Research limitations/implications

The studies were mostly conducted in Brazil, and one of them in the USA. Other studies could be carried out in other countries comparing findings or implementing the guidelines.

Practical implications

The findings will provide feedback to Management Development Program for Design Firms (PDGEP) in the action research method. Moreover, the knowledge about firm's capabilities can advance understanding of architectural and engineering (AE) design firm management as support for sustainability, performance and building information modeling (BIM).

Originality/value

Architectural and engineering design firms are hardly discussed; design is treated in the building project context, giving prominence to technical solutions, not to management ones.

Details

World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5961

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 November 2018

Marta Gasparin

The purpose of this paper is to present a critical literature review on design management.

4592

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a critical literature review on design management.

Design/methodology/approach

The map of the field is based on the analysing the chain of associations between the papers (Latour, 1987). The strategy for this review is informed by the methodology described by Callon et al. (1986) on following the construction of the arguments. The first search was conducted in EBESCO and Web of Science looking for papers dealing with design management; “design management”; innovat* and design* in the management, including title, keywords and abstract. It resulted in 8,216 articles that were exported and downloaded in a database.

Findings

Five groups emerged: design as rational decision making, industrial design, managing as designing, design as proposals of new meaning and design as a network construction.

Originality/value

This paper maps the role of designers in innovation and design management literature. Design management is a variegated field of research, and the focus of this paper has been on product design in business and management literature. To begin with, the research philosophy which was inferred by analysing the preferred methodology in the papers belonging to five perspectives was analysed, and the ontology, essence, metaphysics delineated. Then, a map of the field of on the role of designers was proposed. The author concluded with a reflection of a possible research agenda in design management, focussing on investigating the role of designers in transformational economies, such as Vietnam.

Details

Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-964X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2002

Delia Vazquez and Margaret Bruce

Food retailers invest heavily in design expertise to create exciting packaging and to develop store environments to entice customers to buy premium food products, and to…

6447

Abstract

Food retailers invest heavily in design expertise to create exciting packaging and to develop store environments to entice customers to buy premium food products, and to strengthen their competitive edge. The process by which food retailers manage design has not been documented and this is an oversight in the field of design management that this paper addresses. Cases of four UK retailers are presented and their approaches to design management are compared and discussed. A model of retail design management is presented which represents current “better practice” in UK food retail; in addition, a model of the seven Ps of design management is presented to foster better understanding of the role of food retail design management function.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2020

Paula Görgen Radici Fraga, Maurício Moreira e Silva Bernardes, Julio Carlos de Souza van der Linden, Darli Rodrigues Vieira and Milena Chang Chain

This study aimed to discuss issues related to the process for validating a performance management system for design (PMSD) in three product development companies.

317

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to discuss issues related to the process for validating a performance management system for design (PMSD) in three product development companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The use of multifunctional groups becomes important because it favors viewing the organization as a whole, thereby reducing existing gaps between segments of the company. To support this study, focus group research was used.

Findings

Viewing design as a resource that contributes to increased competitiveness offers companies benefits, such as improved performance measurement. This measurement is based on indicators and, to be useful, an indicator system should stimulate the company's interest. In addition, the present study made it possible to conclude that the validation process is essential in preimplementation stages because validation allows the PMSD to be adapted to bring it closer to the reality of companies, thus increasing the chances of success during the implementation stage.

Originality/value

Validation of the metrics from the perspective of senior management enabled critical analyses of the applicability of the PMSD, as well as its suitability and approximation to the reality of businesses, by selecting the most relevant data.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 70 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 January 2018

Soraia Maduro, Paula O. Fernandes and Albano Alves

The purpose of this paper is to aid the convergence of design and management as a strategic lever and innovative tool to improve corporate reputation in higher education…

1097

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to aid the convergence of design and management as a strategic lever and innovative tool to improve corporate reputation in higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly in the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal (IPB).

Design/methodology/approach

SWOT analysis is used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the context of an organization’s internal competencies (identity) and opportunities and threats in an analysis of the organization’s external competitive context (image). Quantitative analysis was used based on questionnaires conducted with IPB community to analyse if differences exist between identity (staff) and image (students) and where there are design structures (website, visual identity, advertising and environment. Corporate character scale developed by Davies et al. (2003, 2004) was used.

Findings

With the SWOT analysis, it is possible to outline IPB performance strategies that meet a positive reputation. A positive corporate reputation was found in IPB with the study of corporate character scale. It has been realized where there are differences from the point of view of identity and image, and thus, it is possible to indicate ideas of improvement to increase the competitiveness of HEIs.

Research limitations/implications

The study is restricted to five schools of IPB. It would also be pertinent to broaden the scope of the stakeholders, encompassing the external community of the IPB that is extending the study to the external public, such as parents, companies, suppliers and secondary students.

Practical implications

HEI competitiveness implies student recruitment and public policies. A positive reputation implies a positive brand image. Design competencies of the public higher education sector can go much further acting at the strategic level, establishing its directives of action in the markets where it operates to reflect its corporate reputation in a positive way in the mind of the consumer. Intangible assets such as identity, image and corporate reputation, appear as very valuable elements, presenting an increasing importance in the management of universities that entered a market context where sustainability requires the adoption of more entrepreneurial management guidelines.

Originality value

The paper is useful for the professionals and academics in perceiving the importance of use management and strategical tools to identify HEI communication and reputation difficulties for a thorough design thinking that delineates solutions that leverage the competitiveness of service organizations such as HEIs.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 July 2021

Phuoc Luong Le and Nguyen Thi Duc Nguyen

To deal with the present situation and recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, construction firms are required to recognise the trends in construction supply chain management (CSCM…

1200

Abstract

Purpose

To deal with the present situation and recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, construction firms are required to recognise the trends in construction supply chain management (CSCM) for the upcoming years and determine the appropriate practices towards the trends for the improvement of construction activities in terms of strategy, tactic and operations. This paper aims to recognise key trends in CSCM and uses these trends as strategic criteria for the evaluation and prioritisation of lean construction (LC) tools at different project phases including design and architectural engineering, planning and control, on-site construction and safety management.

Design/methodology/approach

The integrated analytic hierarchy process–Delphi method is used to collect and analyse the data from construction experts to evaluate the importance levels of the CSCM trends and recommend the appropriate tools for LC practices to improve project performances.

Findings

Seven key CSCM trends are identified: lean supply chain management (SCM), supply chain (SC) integration, SC standardisation, SC problem-solving, SC information-sharing, SC flexibility and SC sustainability. Based on these trends, a set of prioritised lean tools are suggested for LC practices, in which “virtual design construction” (VDC) and “last planner system” are considered as the central tools. These two LC practices can be integrated with other effective tools to support the strategic, tactical and operational targets in construction supply chain (CSC) projects.

Research limitations/implications

This study gives the managerial implications by developing an application framework of LC practices for CSC projects. The framework promotes “VDC” as a strategic tool for the phase of design and architectural engineering and considers “last planner system” as the central LC practice for the phase of project planning and control. The framework also focuses on the improvement of efficiency in construction operations by taking into account the aspects of on-site collaboration, problem-solving, improvement and safety.

Originality/value

Up to date, there is still a lack of researches in classifying and prioritising the significant LC tools for each project phase to deal with CSC issues in both breadth and depth. Thus, this study is performed to provide construction managers with the awareness of CSCM trends on which they can focus to have strategic criteria for selecting LC practices to improve CSC performances.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 August 2019

Petteri Uusitalo, Olli Seppänen, Antti Peltokorpi and Hylton Olivieri

Although prior studies have noted the importance of trust for project performance, research remains scant on describing the role of trust when using lean design management (LDM…

1266

Abstract

Purpose

Although prior studies have noted the importance of trust for project performance, research remains scant on describing the role of trust when using lean design management (LDM) in projects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the connection between LDM and interpersonal trust in solving construction projects’ design management problems.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted that included 29 trust- and LDM-themed semi-structured interviews in the USA (California), Brazil and Finland; 11 focus group discussions were also organized to validate the interview findings.

Findings

The study reveals how LDM contributes to solving design management problems through two distinct but interconnected mechanisms: improved information flow; and improved trust among project team members. A conceptual framework was crafted to illustrate the mechanisms in building trust by means of the social domain of LDM concepts.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptual framework requires testing through an international survey or through multiple case studies.

Practical implications

The results indicate that design management would benefit from trustful environments and that trust may be the catalyst for actors’ engagement with LDM. Managers in charge of design within projects can use the conceptual framework when selecting the appropriate LDM tools, which should include both the social and technical domains.

Originality/value

The study emphasizes the importance of the social domain of LDM concepts. Previous studies have focussed on information flow aspects of LDM but have overlooked the value of interpersonal trust in solving design management problems.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2003

Lee Bibby, Dino Bouchlaghem and Simon Austin

Drives to improve industry performance are being hindered by difficulties in managing the construction design process, preventing the UK construction industry from delivering…

Abstract

Drives to improve industry performance are being hindered by difficulties in managing the construction design process, preventing the UK construction industry from delivering projects on time, to budget and to the specified quality. This paper reports on a research project at a major UK civil and building design and construction company to develop and deploy a training initiative capable of making significant improvements to its design management performance and deliver benefits to many project stakeholders. It describes the development, content and trailing of the training material and a suite of 21 design management tools to drive change throughout the organization. The paper is likely to be of interest to those involved in design management and the development of tools and practices to help the industry improve design management performance.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Anabel Fernández‐Mesa, Joaquín Alegre‐Vidal, Ricardo Chiva‐Gómez and Antonio Gutiérrez‐Gracia

The aim of this paper is to present design management as a dynamic capability and to analyze its mediating role between organizational learning capability and product innovation…

4408

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present design management as a dynamic capability and to analyze its mediating role between organizational learning capability and product innovation performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling is used to test the research hypotheses based on data from the Italian and Spanish ceramic tile industries. The data are derived from the responses of 182 companies (50 percent of the target population) to a questionnaire addressed to Product Development Managers and Human Resource Managers.

Findings

The results suggest that organizational learning capability enhances product innovation through the mediation of design management capability. The authors find an interesting interplay between organizational learning, design management capability and product innovation that can be very useful to better understand how to improve innovation performance. This finding shows that design management, as a dynamic capability, emerges from learning and allows the firm to adapt to environmental changes.

Originality/value

Several works have studied dynamic capabilities but without specifying the nature of these capabilities. More recent empirically‐based studies conceptualize and refer to specific dynamic capabilities. In this paper, the authors present design management as a dynamic capability. This study aims also to develop a better understanding of how organizational learning capability impacts on the product innovation performance of SMEs and how this relationship is mediated by design management capability.

1 – 10 of over 274000