A design thinking-based Framework for effective business excellence outcomes in the public sector

Abstract

Business excellence has a proven history of making real differences in the outcomes of organizations. However, most scholarly published research is limited to the application of excellence models in the private sector, because most excellence models are only adapted to fit the context of the public sector organizations. This study adds value by focusing on investigating the relationship between the independent variable of attitude, knowledge, actions, and excellence and the business excellence implementation outcomes. Furthermore, it examines if this relationship is moderated by design thinking and its determinants of empathise, define, ideate, and prototype. This research used a questionnaire survey from the population of leaders and senior level managers listed at Dubai local Government Departments. A sample of 141 senior managers were selected through convenience sampling who completed the survey. Positive relationships were found between knowledge, actions, attitude and excellence with business excellence implementation outcomes. The impact of attitude and knowledge on excellence implementation outcomes is found to be moderated positively by design thinking and its determinants. However, actions were not moderated by design thinking and its determinants for their relationship with business excellence outcomes. This anomalous moderating influence of design thinking determinants is explained by the changes in work environment and organisational priorities during the persisting COVID-19 pandemic. Based on these results, a design thinking-based framework for business excellence implementation in the public sector is recommended by the researcher, which suggests that managers should promote factors and criteria of excellence that are suited to their organizational context. This is in addition to empirical and academic recommendations.