Design management capability and product innovation in SMEs

[Purpose]: The aim of this paper is to present design management as a dynamic capability and to analyze its mediating role between organizational learning capability and product innovation performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). [Design/methodology/approach]: Structural equation modeling is used to test the research hypotheses based on data from the Italian and Spanish ceramic tile industries. The data are derived from the responses of 182 companies (50 percent of the target population) to a questionnaire addressed to Product Development Managers and Human Resource Managers. [Findings]: The results suggest that organizational learning capability enhances product innovation throu…