Successful lean implementation: Organizational culture and soft lean practices

This work explores the differences between successful and unsuccessful lean factories in terms of organizational culture dimensions and use of soft lean practices.The analysis of more than 300 factories shows (1) which organizational culture characteristics are peculiar of successful lean factories and (2) that they implement more extensively lean practices concerning people and relations – i.e., soft lean practices

The social benefits of kaizen initiatives in healthcare: an empirical study

AbstractPurpose – This paper aims to identify the most influential determinants of employees’ problem-solving capabilities and attitude towards kaizen initiatives in healthcare and clarify how determinants are related with these two social outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the input-process-outcome framework applied to kaizen initiatives, we distinguished determinants into input and process factors, and developed hypotheses on the direct effect of input and process factors on social outcomes, and the indirect effect of input factors on social outcomes through process factors. The hypotheses were tested through multiple regressions using data from 105 kaizen initiatives in two hospitals.Findings – Among the 14 determinants investigated, goal clarity, team autonomy, management support, goal difficulty and affective commitment to change are the most influential determinants of kaizen capabilities and/or employees’ attitude. Additionally, we found that goal clarity, goal difficulty, team autonomy and management support influence social outcomes directly and/or indirectly through affective commitment to change, internal processes and/or action orientation. Practical implications – Results guide healthcare practitioners in understanding how to set-up focused actions levering on specific determinants to positively influence social outcomes.Originality – This study provides an original contribution to the literature on kaizen initiatives in healthcare by empirically testing a comprehensive model of the relationship between kaizen initiatives determinants and social outcomes. Unlike previous studies, mostly anecdotal and focused on one or few determinants, this research adopted a holistic view by investigating the effect of a wide set of determinants on social outcomes through a systematic and quantitative approach

National culture and operations management: a structured literature review

National culture has received a substantial amount of interest in the operations management literature. We present the first structured review of articles studying national culture in operations management. Our search returned 51 papers published in ten leading journals between 2000 and 2017. We sort and analyse the papers according to three focus areas of operations management (strategy, execution and improvement). We also analyse the papers according to whether they address the relevance of national culture, the impact of national culture or the actions managers can use to manage or mitigate the effects of national culture. We find that national culture appears as a relevant variable in all focus areas of operations management research but that the direction and strength of its impact remain undetermined. Only a handful of papers address how managers can actively deal with challenges related to national culture. We propose a research agenda and a guiding framework for future research.ISSN:0020-7543ISSN:1366-588

Implementation of lean production in multinational corporations: A case study of the transfer process from headquarters to subsidiaries

Several multinational corporations are launching multi-plant lean programmes to increase the coordination of dispersed and heterogeneous plants and promote the growth of the organisation as a whole. Such programmes represent an emerging field of research that seeks to understand the most important mechanisms to transfer lean concepts and practices successfully, given the different contextual conditions of a multi-plant network over time. Here we present an in-depth explorative case study to investigate this issue. An analysis of the programme of an Italian-based company to transfer lean to its Chinese and US subsidiaries over approximately four years was used to develop propositions. Proposition 1 indicates that, throughout a programme, headquarters should use international teamwork to perform training, sensegiving and adaptation in foreign subsidiaries. It also underlines the relevance of pressure via teamwork if a subsidiary resists. Proposition 2 suggests to deploy close and lasting teamwork to transfer lean to plants that are autonomous and new to lean. Close but brief teamwork can be used for subsidiaries that are integrated with headquarters and not new to lean. Proposition 3 argues that the presence of a stable group of managers in subsidiaries facilitates interactions with headquarters and knowledge transfer. Proposition 4 underlines that training, sensegiving, adaptation and pressure via secondary mechanisms throughout a programme are necessary to sustain actions via teamwork. The propositions serve as a basis for future research and empirical validation. They also serve as guidelines for managers in charge of multi-plant lean programme

Dynamics of Lean Knowledge Management in Multinational Companies

A multi-plant lean programme launched by an Italian multinational company with Chinese and US subsidiaries was deeply studied over four years. Our work contributes to debate in the literature by providing a model for network-effective lean practice development and indications on most effective knowledge management approach and mechanisms over time

Towards a contingency-based framework to analyze supply chain sustainability: evidences from three supply chains in the coffee industry

An effective sustainability management requires the development of a holistic approach, thus considering social, economic, as well as environmental dimensions and simultaneously adopting a supply chain perspective. This exploratory study intends to investigate through a multiple case study how contextual factors influence the adoption and the implementation of sustainability practices along a company\u2019s supply chain. Moreover, a contingency perspective is adopted to examine the certification and collaboration mechanisms developed in three different supply chains managed by a focal firm operating in the coffee industry

Dynamics of Lean Knowledge Management in Multinational Companies

A multi-plant lean programme launched by an Italian multinational company with Chinese and US subsidiaries was deeply studied over four years. Our work contributes to debate in the literature by providing a model for network-effective lean practice development and indications on most effective knowledge management approach and mechanisms over time

Supply Chain Capability: Measurement Scale Development And Analysis Of Its Effects On Operational Performance

The concept of supply chain integration (SCI) is a pivotal issue in SCM literature. Though most scholars recognize that SCI can contribute in improving performance, recent reviews analyzing studies on the SCI-performance link have revealed that the number of papers that provide evidence that SCI leads to higher performance is very limited. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of SCI on performance. This study uses data from the High Performance Manufacturing (HPM) project dataset. Results found demonstrate that SCI, when considered as a multi-dimensional concept, can have a positive impact on quality, responsiveness, and efficiency