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Central characteristics and critical success factors of design thinking for product development in industrial SMEs : a bibliometric analysis

Olivares Ugarte, Jazmin Estefania LU and Bengtsson, Lars LU (2024) In Businesses 4(4). p.843-864
Abstract
Design thinking is an innovative methodology that may be applied by small and medium enterprises which emphasizes a human-centered approach to problem-solving, facilitating the creation of novel solutions for complex and open-ended challenges like the development of new products. Despite its recognized importance in business and academia, many industrial SMEs struggle with applying design thinking in their product development processes. This research aims to identify the central characteristics of design thinking and its critical success factors to enable effective application by industrial SMEs. Based on a systematic search in the Scopus database (last searched 14 May 2024) for the relevant literature, which resulted in a selection of 30... (More)
Design thinking is an innovative methodology that may be applied by small and medium enterprises which emphasizes a human-centered approach to problem-solving, facilitating the creation of novel solutions for complex and open-ended challenges like the development of new products. Despite its recognized importance in business and academia, many industrial SMEs struggle with applying design thinking in their product development processes. This research aims to identify the central characteristics of design thinking and its critical success factors to enable effective application by industrial SMEs. Based on a systematic search in the Scopus database (last searched 14 May 2024) for the relevant literature, which resulted in a selection of 30 published papers, with titles and/or abstract fields containing words of design thinking and small- and medium-sized enterprises in industrial sectors, and a bibliometric analysis of co-word occurrence using VOS Viewer (1.6.20 version), we construct a framework that identifies central characteristics, design thinking principles, criteria, phases, and tools, as well as four dimensions of critical success factors: strategy, culture, competences and implementation. This finding is new as it applies to industrial SMEs, as compared to extant research’s more general orientation. The framework is presented in visual form to facilitate use in developmental workshops with SMEs and supporting actors. This paper ends with notes on limitations and proposals for further research. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Design thinking, Innovation, Product development, Small and medium sized enterprises, Critical success factors, Visual framework
in
Businesses
volume
4
issue
4
pages
22 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
2673-7116
DOI
10.3390/businesses4040046
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
86851f2b-96c1-4a15-94a3-7b6ce6a4a4a3
date added to LUP
2024-12-09 13:36:55
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:27:32
@article{86851f2b-96c1-4a15-94a3-7b6ce6a4a4a3,
  abstract     = {{Design thinking is an innovative methodology that may be applied by small and medium enterprises which emphasizes a human-centered approach to problem-solving, facilitating the creation of novel solutions for complex and open-ended challenges like the development of new products. Despite its recognized importance in business and academia, many industrial SMEs struggle with applying design thinking in their product development processes. This research aims to identify the central characteristics of design thinking and its critical success factors to enable effective application by industrial SMEs.  Based on a systematic search in the Scopus database (last searched 14 May 2024) for the relevant literature, which resulted in a selection of 30 published papers, with titles and/or abstract fields containing words of design thinking and small- and medium-sized enterprises in industrial sectors, and a bibliometric analysis of co-word occurrence using VOS Viewer (1.6.20 version), we construct a framework that identifies central characteristics, design thinking principles, criteria, phases, and tools, as well as four dimensions of critical success factors: strategy, culture, competences and implementation. This finding is new as it applies to industrial SMEs, as compared  to extant research’s more general orientation. The framework is presented in visual form to facilitate use in developmental workshops with SMEs and supporting actors. This paper ends with notes on limitations and proposals for further research.}},
  author       = {{Olivares Ugarte, Jazmin Estefania and Bengtsson, Lars}},
  issn         = {{2673-7116}},
  keywords     = {{Design thinking; Innovation; Product development; Small and medium sized enterprises; Critical success factors; Visual framework}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{843--864}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Businesses}},
  title        = {{Central characteristics and critical success factors of  design thinking for product development in industrial  SMEs : a bibliometric analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/businesses4040046}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/businesses4040046}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}