Identification of Barriers Towards Change and Proposal to Institutionalize Continuous Improvement Programs in Manufacturing Operations

A multi case research unfolded into a study in a sample of Brazilian manufacturing companies concerning their Continuous Improvement (CI) program in manufacturing operations. Stakeholders interviews and performance analyses were conducted. The study aims to analyze the existence or absence of the institutionalization of a CI culture in manufacturing operations, identify barriers and difficulties within the process and propose a model for change. As a result of the research, it was observed that despite the considerable motivation of staff, rapid gains of the company and superior results during the early phases of the CI program, time and again such results were either not upheld or faded out over time, delivering no significant mid-term or long term results, due to poor management of changes. This happened mainly as a result of lack of strategic alignment at all levels of the organization, translated in measureable activities and projects, coached and mentored by the middle and upper management throughout the implementation and maintenance of the program. The selected cases showed a declining in performance after two years of CI program start up. Learning, union and process ownership among participants by means of interactions, are necessary to absorb and incorporate changes, instead of merely "smart words"

Lean development evaluation in small Brazilian company

Purpose – The small Brazilian companies are responsible for a large part of national GDP and formal jobs in the country. This expressiveness is contrasted with the specificities of companies of this size possess, including the need to innovate to survive. Research shows that 83 percent of Brazilian SMEs have launched new products and services, obtaining positive results through this innovative process. This competitive advantage is weighted by a great feature of the small organization: resource constraint. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Research was carried out in three stages: one qualitative research (by using focal groups) and another two quantitative research works (descriptive and cross-sectional). Findings – The author identified three factors that are important for teenagers when influencing the purchase of the family car: safety, sportiness and comfort. The identification of these factors shows that the millennial generation tends to emphasize aspects of individual interest, such as status and performance, and family context, such as safety and comfort, rather than social aspects, such as the type of fuel and environmental impact. Social implications – The authors recommend the development of automobiles that prioritize the three factors mentioned herein in order to reverse the trend of declining car purchase. Originality/value – The authors presented the relevant attributes in buying decisions of family cars according to teenagers. The authors also indicated which automobile attributes are relevant for a more informed, connected, and with an increasing purchase power generation in contrast with previous generations, whose social context was prior to the emergence of social media

Lean start-up, entrepreneurship and remote orientation: The experience of action research in Manaus, Brazil

Purpose – Creating a new product or service promotes the status quo changes, seeking economic value andsolving customer’s urgent problems. Entrepreneurs play an important role in this changing process throughstart-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), considered one of the leading forces driving an economy’sinnovative and competitive power. However, despite the importance of entrepreneurs, public policies to fosterentrepreneurship ecosystems could be ineffective in emerging countries. Therefore, action research proposesthe qualification of entrepreneurs for the structuring of new businesses through remote orientation, connectingthe country’s main economic centers to emerging areas.Design/methodology/approach – The study is qualitative research comprising two phases. The first phaseconsisted of four-month action research, connecting two researchers and three groups of specialists (from SaoPaulo), with three groups of entrepreneurs (located in Manaus in the Amazon region), through a remoteorientation in entrepreneurship, lean start-up, lean product and process development (LPPD). The secondphase, conducted by a third researcher, regards a case study grounded on interviews and data collection withthe entrepreneurs to capture the outcomes of the remote orientation process.Findings – The remote orientation helped shorten the geographical distance of Amazonas to approach theintegration of business, research and knowledge exchange of such distinct areas in the same country. If aremote orientation program was established as public policy, it could enact subsequent cycles of the lean startup model. Furthermore, the remote orientation could be an alternative to compose the training subsystem in theentrepreneurship ecosystem proposed by Isenberg (2011). On the other hand, a remote orientation could fail toshorten the distance of human values and beliefs, which cannot be neglected when facing a rich territory likethe Amazon.Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, a qualitative andexploratory study based on a combination of action research, interviews and case studies, the results may lackgeneralizability. However, further studies can replicate the remote orientation process conducted in the regionof Manaus – Amazon, to obtain distinct results regarding the advantages, disadvantages and effectiveness ofremote orientation as entrepreneurship ecosystem’s human capital dimension development.Practical implications – The outcomes of this research have the potential to start discussions regarding theadoption of remote orientation as a public policy to develop entrepreneurship skills in emerging regions, notonly in Brazil but worldwide. The Brazilian case could be a relevant benchmark due to the large territory andeconomic and social disparities impacting education and entrepreneurship.Social implications – Through start-ups and SMEs, entrepreneurship has innovation potential and is themost solid way to bring economic development. For emerging countries, it can be real game-changer in the economic order. The development of entrepreneurship skills through this remote orientation experience canhelp reduce the economic and social gaps in countries with relevant disparities like Brazil and other emergingcountries.Originality/value – This paper fulfills an identified need to “move the needle of entrepreneurship in the rightdirection” (Isenberg, 2010) by creating local solutions for global challenges. Policymakers and leaders need tocontinue the experiment and learn how to improve the entrepreneurship ecosystem. In this sense, the actionresearch approach, combined with the remote orientation, proposes an alternative to promote changes in howhuman capital dimension can be developed in this challenging ecosystem

A Model of Organizational Trajectories to Innovation Management

The multiple-case study research in three industrial companies - located in Brazil- about organizational changing, comparing cases of lean production system implementation, revealed a suggested interpretation of the determinants and directions of organizational innovation. The model tries to account for both continuous changes and discontinuities in organizational innovation. Continuous changes are related to secondary innovation, which doesn¿t break an organizational paradigm, while discontinuities are associated with a new trajectory, since a primary innovation adopted by the whole organization. Then, the innovative lean process associated with secondary innovation was inadequate to change the organizational trajectory and it explains the cyclical decisions. On the other hand, the lean production system related to primary innovation, assumes the role as a new trajectory, influencing changes in total organization. The greatest difference found in the companies for innovative diffusion process, was the aspect of spread the organizational principles or a simple set of management¿s tools