Breaking the Wall Between Business and Design—Becoming a Hedgefox

Abstract

To succeed in today's disruptive world, organizations and leaders must constantly reevaluate their strategies and innovate. One source of innovation that receives growing attention and investment is design. The rising presence of design in the business environment creates interesting leadership challenges and opportunities. To overcome these challenges and seize the opportunities, it is important that organizations and leaders obtain a deep understanding about the different nature of business and design. This article highlights some of the key differences between business and design and suggests that these differences transcend any specific tools or processes. In fact, it argues that one explanation for these differences could be rooted in the concept of “cognitive style.” Investigating business and design as two cognitive styles provides an opportunity for organizations and leaders to borrow insights and tools from cognitive style research and apply them in the context of business and design integration. This research contributes to the growing discussion about business and design integration by focusing on and drawing parallels to the renowned Hedgehog and Fox Cognitive Style Theory. More specifically, by adopting a HedgeFox Scale, this article aims to provide an instrument to assess one's ability to understand and relate to business and/or design, from a cognitive style perspective, as a catalyst for innovation.