Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2026, 16(7), 2026-0104
Relationship Between Crisis Management Stages and Design Thinking in Palestinian Municipalities: Evidence from Jenin Municipality
1
Dean, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and
Economics, Palestine Technical University, Kadoorie, Palestine, E-mail:
s.arqawi@ptuk.edu.ps (corresponding author).
2 Associate Professor, Department
of Public Administration, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Al-Istiqlal
University, Palestine, E-mail: Nour.alaqra@pass.ps
Project Management
Received June 25, 2026; revised July 26, 2026; accepted August 16, 2026
Available online October 5, 2026
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between crisis management stages and design thinking in Palestinian municipalities, using Jenin Municipality as a case study. The municipality operates within a service and administrative environment characterized by recurring crises and increasingly complex citizen needs. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical research design and employed a questionnaire to collect data from a convenience sample of 239 employees working at Jenin Municipality. Crisis management was measured across five dimensions: warning-signal detection, preparedness and prevention, damage containment, activity recovery, and post-crisis learning. Design thinking was measured across four dimensions: orientation, visualization, integration and experimentation, and evaluation and implementation. The findings showed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between crisis management and design thinking, with an overall correlation coefficient of r = .876 (p < .001). Regression analysis further demonstrated that crisis management scores were significantly associated with design thinking scores. The model explained 76.7% of the variance in design-thinking scores (R2= .767). Because the data were cross-sectional and self-reported, the findings indicate association rather than causation. Overall, the findings suggest crisis-management practices may support organizational learning, adaptation, and design thinking in municipalities. Accordingly, the study recommends developing an institutionalized crisis management system, adopting design thinking as an organizational approach to addressing municipal challenges, and strengthening organizational learning in the post-crisis phase.
Keywords: Crisis management; design thinking; Jenin municipality; Palestinian municipalities; municipal innovation.
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Citation: Arqawi, S. M. H. and Alaqraa, N. T. M. (2026). Relationship Between Crisis Management Stages and Design Thinking in Palestinian Municipalities: Evidence from Jenin Municipality. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 16(7), 2026-0104.
