Managing Design as a Core Competency: Lessons from Korea

Abstract

Considering design as an “intangible asset” (which, given new international accounting standards, is more and more often the case) leads to an examination of how successful companies tend to move from the use of design as a means of differentiation to the use of design as a means of transformation in a company.

Sustainable Product Service Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Opportunities in the Leather Manufacturing Industry

“…Up to 80% of the costs associated with product development, manufacturing and use are established during the design stage [21]. In terms of business strategy Borja de Mozota and Kim highlight that managers should value design skills as "rare, inimitable and non-substitutable" ( [22]: p. 68). They consider design as a core competence that gives superior value to customers and is an organisational asset.…”

The Strategic Use of Service Design for Leaders in Service Organizations

“…In line with the evolution of the role of design, design management has developed from project level to include the corporate level (Lockwood, 2010b), where design thinking may influence an organization's way of doing business (Borja de Mozota & Kim, 2009;Cooper, et al, 2010). The contribution of design thinking to strategy development has gained interest as part of the design discourse as well as the management discourse.…”

Design strategy: Towards a post-rational, practice-based perspective

“…For instance, Jevnaker (2000) and Rosensweig (2011) take up the concept of dynamic capabilities to explain how design resources can be leveraged more effectively. Borja de Mozota and Kim (2009) argue that, in order to attain competitive advantage through design, firms need to consider design as a core competency as opposed to strategic fit. Undoubtedly, the focus on internal aspects is a step forward in the study of design strategy, but the discourse is still centered on firm performance, whereas actors and situated practices that build these so-called "design capabilities" are out of sight.…”