Model of the Impact of "Design Thinking" on Business Results in Bulgarian Business Organizations

There is a growing need to update labour processes in leading Bulgarian enterprises. This has become a vital condition for their sustainability and prosperity and involves integrating tailored new approaches, including management methods such as "design thinking" to make use of the human capital available in the country (young employees, new users and partners). It has provoked the search for and creation of a model highlighting the impact of "design thinking" in all business endeavours wherein the activities of relevant stakeholders and managers are a decisive factor influencing the degree of design integration with business practices in the company as a whole. Based on a detailed review of the literature on the topic, definitions of the "design thinking" concept were systematized from the point of view of its practical application in corporate management. Successful methodological practices were studied, resulting in the development of six tools appropriate for resolving various business issues and supporting the activities of managers. The developed model regarding the impact of "design thinking" on business outcomes was tested, and the formulated hypotheses were verified through correlation analysis. Conclusions based on the testing of this model which could be useful to businesses are summarized at the end of this paper.