Legitimizing a practice across fields: microprocesses of theorization of Design Thinking

Legitimizing a practice is a challenging task because it has to be constantly made understandable and meaningful to prospective users. Garnering such legitimacy is critical for successful practice diffusion and potential institutionalization. The process of theorization—rendering of ideas into understandable and compelling formats—is considered central to legitimacy construction. However, we still have a limited understanding of the specific mechanisms through which theorization happens. In this article, we address this issue by examining the microprocesses through which the practice of Design Thinking (DT) was theorized by its proponents in the field of business management. We undertook qualitative analysis, using grounded theory, of archival data. Our analysis revealed three key microprocesses: appropriation (presenting DT as a solution to abstract field-level problems), assimilation (integrating DT with current vocabularies and legacy practices within user organizations), and adaptation (redefining DT in order to resolve contradictions with legacy practices within organizations). This study makes two contributions. First, to the literature on theorization by explicating key microprocesses underlying theorization and providing a nuanced understanding of how legitimacy and theorization may be linked. Second, to the literature on management knowledge production, by showing how management practices and concepts may be contextualized and interlinked.