Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

This paper associates Design Thinking (DT) with sustainability. It investigates the application of DT for the creation of solutions that can alleviate complex problems found in sustainability management. For this purpose, the paper proposes an approach to the analysis of Design Thinking (DT) and its impact on sustainability, which contributes to: (i) organize DT into criteria of analysis; (ii) associate DT criteria of analysis with economic, social, and environmental dimensions of Sustainable Development (SD); and (iii) analyze how much an organization and its business model satisfies DT criteria of analysis and SD dimensions. Empirically, the paper is grounded in the study of Brazilian Mandalla System (BMS) of family farm production which involves an organizing entrepreneurial system to alleviate complex problems of hunger and poverty in rural communities. Results demonstrate BMS satisfies DT criteria and sustainability dimensions; whereas, in this case, rural families were included in the system as producers, co-innovators, co-entrepreneurs, consumers, and investors; they had access to micro-credits, training, and education, and could reach some level of financial autonomy as well as practices of preservation of the environment.