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Defining research in design management (DM) involves the meeting of two interdisciplines: management science and design science. The author focuses on design management research and provides an overview of the diversity of the relationship by studying the books published internationally between 1977 and 2017. First, the hybrid territory of DM is defined through its keywords and their evolution. Then, using various definitions of DM, a representation of the place that design occupies in organizations emerges. Second, the literature focuses on the five themes of DM: value, methods and skills, tools, integration within other functions, and the notion of “being a better manager through design.” This is accompanied by an examination of the models that arise from these themes. Finally, the analysis of the literature illustrates two forces at play in DM discourse: objective and subjective soft skills, i.e. design management vs. design leadership.