Abstract:

Today, Design Thinking is understood as a way of thinking which leads to innovation and transformation, to new ways of managing business and teams. The managements staff of universities are facing new challenges connected with digitization, innovation and globalization. Does the conventional approach to management produce the best possible solutions in the face of such complex problems? Can design thinking lead to better solutions to such problems? This article presents results from a case study, where the managers from 7 universities participated in soft skills training using the design thinking tools. The study proved that managers who used a design thinking approach seemed to be more competent to understand creativity, teamwork and interdisciplinarity at finding new solutions. The aim of our contribution is to introduce our knowledge and experience with creativity and other soft skills development opportunities in education of top management in the international environment. The present study is part of a larger research project on the application of design thinking as an approach to finding creative solutions to problems.

Keywords:

Design thinking, creativity, team work, case study, management.