Lean towards learning: connecting Lean Thinking and human resource management in UK higher education

From its origins in the automotive industry,Lean Thinking is increasingly being seen as a solution to problems of efficiency and quality in other industries and sectors. In recent years attempts have been made to transfer Lean principles and practice to the higher education sector, with indications of mixed consequences and debate over its suitability. This paper contributes to the debate by drawing evidence from 34 interviews conducted across two UK universities that have implemented Lean in some of their activities, and we pay particular attention to the role of the human resource function in facilitating its introduction. The findings suggest that there are problems in understanding, communicating and transferring Lean Thinking in the higher education context; despite human resource systems being vital facets of Lean, human resource professionals are excluded from participation; and as a consequence the depth and breadth of Lean application in the two institutions is very limited

Implementing, managing and working under Lean :a qualitative case analysis

PhD ThesisThe aim of this thesis is to explore the broader experiences of workers, in non-manufacturing organisational contexts, of the application of Lean informed by a labour process perspective. In order to achieve the overarching aim, the author investigates how organisations are implementing Lean by utilizing core labour process theory concepts (such as management control, the frontier of control, managed participation, self-identity). This research draws on evidence from four case study organisations, all of whom are atypical in their application of Lean from a traditional labour process perspective. Fifty four interviews are conducted, supported by documental evidence, in order to explore how employees experience Lean Thinking. The findings suggest that there are problems in understanding, communicating and transferring Lean Thinking in the contexts here; and as a consequence the depth and breadth of Lean application in the four cases is very limited. There was a shared view among managers and professionals that the construction of academic freedom, in the case of UK academics, and the difficulties associated with measuring intangible contributions and outputs are significant in limiting expectations that professionals would support Lean approaches. In addition to this, a lack of empathy with the contextual relevance of Lean was demonstrated with the key training programmes. Many of the professionals here fought to maintain frontiers of control, and senior managers and sponsors acknowledged that this was inevitable. This thesis makes an important contribution to understanding some of the context-specific issues related to introducing Lean in non-automotive manufacturing, and shows how Lean travels to such settings as well as how it is received by participants. The research questions the extent to which managers themselves practised Lean, rather than merely espouse Lean, and suggests that in the contexts here managed participation is a feature of implementation

Lean towards learning: connecting Lean Thinking and human resource management in UK higher education

From its origins in the automotive industry, Lean Thinking is increasingly being seen as a solution to problems of efficiency and quality in other industries and sectors. In recent years attempts have been made to transfer Lean principles and practice to the higher education sector with indications of mixed consequences and debate over its suitability. This paper contributes to the debate by drawing evidence from thirty-four interviews conducted across two UK universities that have implemented Lean in some of their activities and we pay particular attention to the role of the HR function in facilitating its introduction. The findings suggest there are problems in understanding, communicating and transferring Lean Thinking in the higher education context; that, despite HR systems being vital facets of Lean, HR professionals are excluded from participation; and that as a consequence the depth and breadth of Lean application in the two institutions is very limited

Re-imagining hybrid pedagogies: lessons from the pandemic using the Diffusion of Innovation Model

Covid-19, indefinitely, altered the Higher Education (HE) landscape, both casting questions on as well as opening new doors for the future of HE curricula. This chapter draws on the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) model, which is used to explore academic experiences in two UK HE institutions in relation to hybrid pedagogies before and during the pandemic.The chapter considers the evolution of hybrid learning and teaching over the pandemic and how it might be re-imagined in a post-pandemic era by offering an account of the online pivot and how it has impacted progress towards technological change in teaching and learning. We find that Innovators and Early Adopters play a crucial role in generating and promoting hybrid pedagogies, and will be central to helping universities redress outdated pedagogical approaches. Through investigating the consequences of the online pivot the chapter considers how HE can remain relevant and impactful, as well as where the sector might be heading in the post-pandemic era. To do this a Hybrid Learning Vision is presented, based on lessons learned during the online pivot, which we hope will help educators re-imagine traditional approaches and work towards making pedagogies relevant in the post-pandemic university