Transforming mature design management to better firm performance: The importance of top management involvement

Design can be utilized in different manners, including as styling activities, integrating role, and strategic manner. The different way reflects different maturity of a firm. Although previous studies conceptually suggest the mature way of managing design brings considerable benefits, empirical evidence is rare. This study fills in this gap by investigating the influences of design management maturity on product innovation performance and financial performance. A survey was conducted (N = 200) and analyzed through PLS-SEM. Results show that design management maturity does not directly improve product innovation performance but mediated by top managers' design management expertise. These findings highlight the importance of top managers' design management expertise in transforming a firm's design management maturity to enhanced product and firm performance.