Design Thinking and Corporate Entrepreneurship: an exploratory study

This study explores the connection between design thinking and corporate entrepreneurship. As suggested by earlier pioneering studies, the potential of design thinking for recognising entrepreneurial opportunities is researched. In addition, the levers and challenges of design thinking are subject to this study to find other links between design thinking and corporate entrepreneurship. We conducted expert interviews with eleven interviewees in ten organisations. The study revealed a variety of approaches that have been structured. Design thinking is utilised to improve new product and service development. The study revealed ambiguous results whether design thinking leads to new entrepreneurial opportunities. Understanding the user can be one element leading towards opportunities, however, the organisation needs to be capable to act on them. In addition, design thinking is often linked to corporate entrepreneurship in other ways, namely the partnering with startups and championing a project. These findings open important avenues for further research on the connection between design thinking and corporate entrepreneurship, namely in respect of strategic renewal as well as the collaboration with start-ups.