Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

10-2025

Abstract

“Widespread design thinking among organisation leaders is desirable for the creation of a humanly and sustainable future” (R. J. Boland et al., 2008a)

This study investigates the impact of design thinking capabilities on leadership effectiveness through a mixed-methods research design.

While design thinking is widely used in product and service innovation, its application as a leadership development framework remains underexplored.   To address this gap, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods, including pre- and post-intervention survey of leaders, their supervisors, and subordinates within an education business in Vietnam (EBV), as well as semi-structured interviews with senior leaders at a multinational corporation in the services sector (MNC) and EBV participants.

Quantitative data revealed that, following a design thinking workshop intervention, leaders and their subordinates perceived notable improvements in leadership effectiveness across dimensions such as communication, innovation, and decision making.   However, supervisors reported mixed or declining perceptions of leader effectiveness post-intervention, highlighting potential misalignment in stakeholder expectations in leadership development initiatives.

Qualitative interviews supported these findings, surfacing themes such as empathy, clear problem articulation, collaborative ideation, and adaptive leadership as mechanisms through which design thinking improved leadership practice.

The study contributes to the emerging literature on design-led leadership by recognising design thinking not only as a process for product innovation, but as a leader-dependent and team-centred mechanism that can shape how leaders engage with complex challenges within the organisation.   It positions design thinking at the intersection of leadership behaviour and organisational innovation processes.

By empirically demonstrating how design thinking capabilities can prompt behavioural shifts – such as empathy-driven interactions and iterative problem solving – that cumulatively influence organisational culture, the research bridges design theory with leadership practice.

The research advances the emerging narrative on design-led leadership and aligns with Boland et al.'s (2008) vision that “widespread design thinking among organisation leaders is desirable for the creation of a humanly and sustainable future”.    The findings offer practical implications for organisations seeking to develop leaders who are adaptive and able to evolve their leadership behaviours and practices through structured, iterative and empathetic processes, whilst also providing leaders themselves with a self-change mechanism to enhance their effectiveness.

Keywords

Leadership Effectiveness, Design Thinking

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Business Admin

Discipline

Organization Development | Strategic Management Policy

Supervisor(s)

TSCHANG, Feichin Ted

First Page

1

Last Page

150

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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