An Analysis of Design Management Practices in Europe, A critical investigation of the Staircase Model

Abstract

The research presents a critical investigation of the Design Management Staircase model to assess current Design Management practices and capabilities of European businesses. Based on the literature it assesses the Design Management Staircase model regarding its suitability as a method to assess current DM practices of European businesses. Furthermore, it applies the Design Management Staircase model to four different datasets obtained from European Businesses each year from 2008-2011. It explores the development of the trends in the Staircase model scores. Further analyses are conducted examining differences in Staircase scores of businesses recognizing design and design management as an important tool for innovation.