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copenhagen business school process Management of design as a translation handelshøjskolen solbjerg plads 3 dk-2000 frederiksberg danmark www.cbs.dk Management of design as a translation process Marta Gasparin PhD Series 18-2014 ISSN 0906-6934 Print ISBN: 978-87-93155-36-7 LIMAC PhD School Online ISBN: 978-87-93155-37-4 Department of Operations Management PhD Series 18-2014 MANAGEMENT OF DESIGN AS A TRANSLATION PROCESS Marta Gasparin Supervisors: Professor John K. Christiansen Associate Professor Claus J. Varnes PhD School LIMAC Department of Operations Management Copenhagen Business School Marta Gasparin Management of design as a translation process 1st edition 2014 PhD Series 18.2014 © The Author ISSN 0906-6934 Print ISBN: 978-87-93155-36-7 Online ISBN:978-87-93155-37-4 LIMAC PhD School is a cross disciplinary PhD School connected to research communities within the areas of Languages, Law, Informatics, Operations Management, Accounting, Communication and Cultural Studies. All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Foreword Writing this section was certainly complicated; it has been the last one, and there are so many persons I would like to thank. The thesis is the result of a network construction, and during these three years of voyage a consistent number of actors made it possible. In particular, I would like to thank my supervisors, John Christiansen and Claus Varnes, for having believed in the project, for being good mentors in all the discussions, feedback, suggestions and encouragements. Being part of your team has been an incredible learning “maieutic” experience (professional and human). Jan Mouritsen, for the stimulating feedback after the seminars that al- lowed to make the turning point, framing the analysis and in the discussion in a sharper way, helping to focus the attention on some issues that were blurry. Fritz Hansen, for having allowed the investigation and the time granted for answering my questions, doubts, and having attended to the work in progress presentations. Steve Woolgar, for the marvellous time in Oxford, for the very stimulat- ing classes and discussions on methods and ANT. Professors Kinra, Austin, Yoshinaka, Kristensen for the precious feedback received during the work in progress seminars. Francalanci, Guerzoni and Baia Curioni for sharing their opinions on the topic of the dissertation. The Colleagues of the OM department for having made the working place a pleasant environment, funny, and trustful, but also and open environment, where it has been possible to share doubts and frustrations, helping to over- come difficulties. Finally, I would like to thank my family for the lovely support in all these years, being happy for me and having encouraged me to choose CBS among the different options; Vittorio and Anna for the critical reading; Villads for the patient help with Latex and for writing the programs for the analysis; all my friends (academics and not) that made these years enjoyable and unforgettable. 3 Abstract This dissertation proposes a new perspective on management of design by regarding it as a translation process, using a framework based on Actor- Network Theory. Within the field of management of design, design has been defined as a problem-solving activity, a tool for either improving the decision- making process or for fostering radical innovation by making sense of things. Designers have generally been considered individuals with a different sens- ibility, able to make a difference by producing interesting and intriguing products which can deliver value to the customers and create value for the firm. Actor-Network Theory is a methodology for the socio-technical analysis that treats the actors as enacted and relational, and explores the network creation through an analysis based on a flat ontology, in which there is sym- metry between human- and non-human actors. There is no a priori size, power or complexity of the actors, as these elements are built through the relations and understood by following them. The study is based on an ethno- graphic investigation of three design objects: the Serie7, the Egg (designed respectively in 1955 and 1958) and the Ice (designed in 2002), manufactured by Fritz Hansen. Based on the analysis, a new interpretation of the design, the design process, the role of the managers and designers, the value creation process, and the role of technologies of managing is presented. Design is defined as an outcome of the construction process of things made by mobilising and enrolling actors through the translations of goals. The design process is the process of enrolling, mobilising, and translating goals, creat- ing the design in a heterogeneous network of allies. It is a chaotic practice, muddled and contingent, with the inevitable risk of unintended consequences. This process is guided by the managers, who act as spokespersons, while the designers are macro-actors, representing all the actors involved in the cre- ation process, in the multitude making or agreeing on the final decisions concerning the design and its development during the life cycle of the object. The individual qualities of insight, intuition, vision, and creativity are rein- terpreted and assembled in the language of the design. These qualities are no longer the properties of an individual, but collective virtues in relation 5 to which governing and managing have a fundamental role. The managers are spokespersons, actors who translate the needs, the expectations, the de- mands and the desires from different actors. They work towards sharing the goals by encouraging the other actors to adhere to the programme of actions. The value is constituted and forged through the relationships, it is not some- thing that is proper or embedded in the product, but is adopted and adapted by the allies in the network. The technologies of managing are not simple tools for fostering creativity, as described in the previous literature, they are actors mediating the process and conveying information that managers can use to make decisions. The technologies of managing are identified as black boxes and leaky black boxes. A black box is totally closed, a leaky black box is something the managers are working and acting on, stimulating the translations and actions that are shaping the network, including or cutting off the network actors and features, as well as mobilising actors. 6 Dansk Resume Indenfor designledelse er design blevet defineret som en problemløsnings- aktivitet, et redskab til at forbedre beslutningsprocessen eller som et redskab til at fremme radikal innovation. Designerne er generelt blevet betragtet som personer med en ekstraordinær følsomhed, i stand til at gøre en forskel ved at frembringe interessante og spændende produkter, som kan give ekstra værdi for kunderne og skabe indtægter for virksomheden. Denne afhand- ling foresl˚aret nyt perspektiv p˚aledelse af design nemlig ved at betragte design som en “translation process”, baseret p˚aaktør-netværk teori. Ana- lysen anvender en metode til socioteknisk analyse, der behandler aktørerne som “enacted” og relationelle i forhold til andre aktører og udforsker skabelse af netværk gennem en analyse der er baseret p˚aen flad ontologi, hvor der er symmetri mellem humane og ikke-humane aktører. Der er ikke nogen a priori størrelse, magt eller kompleksitet i netværket, da disse elementer er bygget gennem relationer og er forst˚aetved at følge dem. Afhandlingen er baseret p˚aen etnografisk undersøgelse af tre design produceret af virksom- heden Fritz Hansen: Syveren (1955), Ægget(1958) og Ice (2002). Gennem den udviklede teoretiske forst˚aelsesrammemuliggøres en ny fortolkning og forst˚aelseaf designprocessen og aktørernes rolle i processen, værdiskabelse- sprocessen samt de anvendte ledelsesteknologier. Design er i denne afhandling re-defineret som resultatet af en konstruk- tionsproces mellem aktører, der omfatter mobilisering og indlemmelse af aktørerne gennem translationsprocesser. Designprocessen er i dette per- spektiv en proces af “enrolling”, “mobilising” og “translating”, og det færdige design skabes i et heterogent netværk af allierede. Det er en rodet og kom- pleks praksis, med risiko for utilsigtede effekter. Processen p˚avirkes af ledere, som virker som talsmænd; mens designerne er en blandt mange aktører der er involveret i skabelsesprocessen, der p˚avirker udviklingsprocessen og den videre udvikling i produkternes livscyklus. De individuelle kompetencer hos designeren er indsigt, intuition, vision og disses kreativitet transformeres og samles i designet, men disse kvaliteter 7 er ikke bare individuelle, men et led i det netværk der tilsammen producerer det færdige design under indflydelse af ledelse og styringsforsøg. Ledere ses som talsmænd, en aktør der oversætter og formidler behovene, forh˚abningerne,kravene og ønskerne fra forskellige aktører. Talsmændene prøver at overtale andre til at deltage i den fælles konstruktion, deres netværk af allierede, der muliggør et nyt produkt. Værdien er konstitueret og smedet gennem relationerne. Værdien af et produkt kan ikke fastsættes selvstændigt eller findes indlejret i produktet, men udtrykkes gennem de relationer og de allierede som produktet kan tiltrække og fastholde. Ledelsesteknologierne er ikke blot værktøjer til at fremme kreativiteten, som fremhævet tidligere, men ses som aktører

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