The Role of Innovation and Design Thinking in Sustainable Organizational Agility

I Made Semadi, Muhammad Imam Taufiq, Ahmad A, Nurmina N, Megawaty M

Abstract


This article integrates the mechanisms connecting design thinking practices, innovation capability, and enduring organizational agility, while identifying the conditions that constrain these relationships. A critical integrative review draws on 26 purposively selected substantive publications and eight supporting theoretical or methodological sources. Searches and bibliographic checks used DOI records, publisher websites, and institutional repositories up to October 26, 2026. Empirical evidence is distinguished from reviews and conceptual arguments, and abstract-level information is not treated as full-text appraisal. Four themes emerge: problem framing; learning and innovation capability; institutionalization through decisions and resources; and repeated organizational responsiveness. Direct evidence concerning agility is context-specific, whereas much of the literature explains intermediate mechanisms at individual, team, or innovation-function levels. The review contributes a process account in which converting learning into authorized decisions and resource reconfiguration constitutes a critical transition between project outcomes and enduring agility. The proposed framework separates practices, problem framing, learning, innovation capability, reconfiguration, and adaptive outcomes. Six propositions address decision rights, phase-sensitive formalization, organizational memory, and impact governance. Managers should trace changes in assumptions, implemented decisions, and responses across successive cycles rather than rely solely on idea counts or project speed. Purposive coverage and uneven full-text access limit the scope of the conclusions. The framework remains conceptual and requires longitudinal and multilevel testing; social and environmental outcomes must be measured separately from the persistence of adaptive capability.


Keywords


design thinking; innovation capability; organizational agility; organizational learning; dynamic capabilities

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adams, R., Jeanrenaud, S., Bessant, J., Denyer, D., & Overy, P. (2016). Sustainability-oriented innovation: A systematic review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(2), 180–205. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12068

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Carlgren, L., Elmquist, M., & Rauth, I. (2016). The challenges of using design thinking in industry—Experiences from five large firms. Creativity and Innovation Management, 25(3), 344–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12176

Carlgren, L., Rauth, I., & Elmquist, M. (2016). Framing design thinking: The concept in idea and enactment. Creativity and Innovation Management, 25(1), 38–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12153

Cunha, A. S., Cordeiro, J. V., & Victorino, G. (2026). Design thinking for organizational change: A systematic review of enablers and barriers. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 12(1), Article 100742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2026.100742

Dell'Era, C., Magistretti, S., Cautela, C., Verganti, R., & Zurlo, F. (2020). Four kinds of design thinking: From ideating to making, engaging, and criticizing. Creativity and Innovation Management, 29(2), 324–344. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12353

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999

Elsbach, K. D., & Stigliani, I. (2018). Design thinking and organizational culture: A review and framework for future research. Journal of Management, 44(6), 2274–2306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317744252

Fischer, S., Lattemann, C., Redlich, B., & Guerrero, R. (2020). Implementation of design thinking to improve organizational agility in an SME. Die Unternehmung, 74(2), 136–154. https://doi.org/10.5771/0042-059x-2020-2-136

Kaur, V. (2025). Leveraging design thinking to foster knowledge-based dynamic capabilities. Journal of Business Research, 189, Article 115177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115177

Kurtmollaiev, S., Fjuk, A., Pedersen, P. E., Clatworthy, S., & Kvale, K. (2018). Organizational transformation through service design: The institutional logics perspective. Journal of Service Research, 21(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670517738371

Kurtmollaiev, S., Pedersen, P. E., Fjuk, A., & Kvale, K. (2018). Developing managerial dynamic capabilities: A quasi-experimental field study of the effects of design thinking training. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 17(2), 184–202. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2016.0187

Kyriakopoulos, N., Kim, E., Hultink, E. J., & Santema, S. (2025). The impact of design thinking and artificial intelligence capabilities on performance: The role of new product development decision-making agility. Journal of Business Research, 200, Article 115633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115633

Leal Filho, W., Schmidberger, I., Sharifi, A., Vargas, V. R., Rampasso, I. S., Dibbern, T., Liakh, O., Aina, Y. A., Trevisan, L. V., Mbah, M. F., Anholon, R., & Kozlova, V. (2024). Design thinking for sustainable development: A bibliometric analysis and case study research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 455, Article 142285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142285

Liedtka, J. (2015). Perspective: Linking design thinking with innovation outcomes through cognitive bias reduction. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), 925–938. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12163

Magistretti, S., Ardito, L., & Messeni Petruzzelli, A. (2021). Framing the microfoundations of design thinking as a dynamic capability for innovation: Reconciling theory and practice. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 38(6), 645–667. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12586

March, J. G. (1991). Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science, 2(1), 71–87. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71

Mayer, S., & Schwemmle, M. (2025). The impact of design thinking and its underlying theoretical mechanisms: A review of the literature. Creativity and Innovation Management, 34(1), 78–110. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12626

Micheli, P., Wilner, S. J. S., Bhatti, S. H., Mura, M., & Beverland, M. B. (2019). Doing design thinking: Conceptual review, synthesis, and research agenda. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 36(2), 124–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12466

Mrugalska, B., & Ahmed, J. (2021). Organizational agility in Industry 4.0: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 13(15), Article 8272. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158272

Nakata, C., & Hwang, J. (2020). Design thinking for innovation: Composition, consequence, and contingency. Journal of Business Research, 118, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.038

Oliveira, M., Zancul, E., & Salerno, M. S. (2024). Capability building for digital transformation through design thinking. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 198, Article 122947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122947

Overby, E., Bharadwaj, A., & Sambamurthy, V. (2006). Enterprise agility and the enabling role of information technology. European Journal of Information Systems, 15(2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000600

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Robbins, P., & Fu, N. (2022). Blind faith or hard evidence? Exploring the indirect performance impact of design thinking practices in R&D. R&D Management, 52(4), 704–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12515

Roth, K., Rau, C., & Neyer, A.-K. (2023). Design thinking and dynamic managerial capabilities: A quasi-experimental field study in the aviation industry. R&D Management, 53(5), 801–818. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12600

Schlott, C. K. (2024). Design thinking and teamwork—measuring impact: A systematic literature review. Journal of Organization Design, 13(4), 163–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41469-024-00177-x

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039

Teece, D. J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: The nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13), 1319–1350. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640

Teece, D., Peteraf, M., & Leih, S. (2016). Dynamic capabilities and organizational agility: Risk, uncertainty, and strategy in the innovation economy. California Management Review, 58(4), 13–35. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2016.58.4.13

Torraco, R. J. (2005). Writing integrative literature reviews: Guidelines and examples. Human Resource Development Review, 4(3), 356–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484305278283

Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375

Walter, A.-T. (2021). Organizational agility: Ill-defined and somewhat confusing? A systematic literature review and conceptualization. Management Review Quarterly, 71(2), 343–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-020-00186-6

Warner, K. S. R., & Wäger, M. (2019). Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation: An ongoing process of strategic renewal. Long Range Planning, 52(3), 326–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2018.12.001




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23972655

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 I Made Semadi, Muhammad Imam Taufiq, Ahmad A, Nurmina N, Megawaty M

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

Socius: Jurnal Penelitian Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial

ISSN : 3025-6704