I’m not very knowledgeable in this field but I recently read:
Devin, L., and Austin, R.D. “The Soul of Design. Harnessing the Power of Plot to Create Extraordinary Products.” USA: Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2012.
And I found it to be very insightful. It explains among others how besides designers, managers also need to adopt the approach of being an artist. And it explains to some extent why design should be more intrinsically interwoven into the value creation process, rather than mostly being an afterthought. I’m not sure if this book should be part of a student’s curriculum, but to me this book was a little jewel of a find, so you may consider using it.
Some recent popular books are:
- “The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Eric Ries
- A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin (2013). “Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works”