The article investigates how the application of design thinking practices in companies affects the collaboration quality with external partners. Thereby, the influence of various structural, strategic, and cultural interaction effects is examined.

The results show that the design thinking approach has a positive effect on the collaboration quality with external partners, which in turn increases the overall project success. Regarding structural contingencies, this study finds that team continuity enhances the positive effect of design thinking on collaboration quality. With a sample of 217 projects in 78 companies, this study is the first to provide quantitative evidence on the benefits of design thinking on interorganizational collaborations.

The article was presented at the ISPIM – International Society for Professional Innovation Management Conference 2021 winning the Knut Holt Award for Best Conference Paper

The full article can be found here (open access).