A theoretical framework for the social pillar of lean

Lean Six Sigma Impact Analysis on Sustainability Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM): A Literature Review

The Lean Six Sigma (LSS) philosophy and sustainability have become topics of interest since the 1990s; they have generally been analyzed together since 2012. Numerous professionals, managers, and researchers have sought methodologies by which to assess their impact and know their effectiveness within companies. During the past decade, the application of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) has been widely accepted in various modeling, prediction, or multivariate analyses as a way to measure the impact of LSS on sustainability. This study conducts a literature review to identify the use of PLS-SEM in measuring the impact of LSS on sustainability. A systematic review methodology has been employed, applying five search criteria to three scientific database platforms. This approach has been helpful to identify PLS-SEM as a valuable methodology for measuring the impact of LSS on sustainability. One of the research findings is that LSS practices positively impact 83% of economic indicators, 78% of environmental indicators, and 70% of social indicators. This article creates a theoretical foundation for future research on these issues, outlining research opportunities to generate future studies. It also allows researchers and managers who are interested in improving sustainability indicators to access valuable knowledge regarding what types of LSS tools could be used.

Is lean a theory? Viewpoints and outlook

Purpose

Lean remains popular in a wide range of private and public sectors and continues to attract a significant amount of research. However, most of this research is not grounded in theory. This paper presents and discusses different expert viewpoints on the role of theory in lean research and practice and provides guidelines for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

Seven experienced lean authors independently provide their views to the question “is Lean a theory?” before Rachna Shah summarizes the viewpoints and provides a holistic outlook for lean research.

Findings

Authors agree, disagree and sometimes agree to disagree. However, a close look reveals agreement on several key points. The paper concludes that Lean is not a theory but has plenty of theoretical underpinnings. Many lean-related theories provide promising opportunities for future research.

Originality/value

As researchers, we are asked to justify our research drawing on “theory,” but what does that mean for a practice-driven phenomenon such as lean? This paper provides answers and directions for future research.

Improving high lean team performance through aligned behaviour-value patterns and coactive vicarious learning-by-doing

Purpose

Why are some lean workfloor teams able to improve their already high performance, over time, and others not? By studying teams' and leaders' behaviour-value patterns, this abductive field study uncovers a dynamic capability at the team level.

Design/methodology/approach

Various methods were employed over three consecutive years to thoroughly examine five initially high-performing lean workfloor teams, including their leaders. These methods encompassed micro-behavioural coding of 59 h of film footage, surveys, individual and group interviews, participant observation and archival data, involving objective and perceptual team-performance indicators. Two of the five teams continued to improve and perform highly.

Findings

Continuously improving high lean team performance is found to be associated with (1) team behaviours such as frequent performance monitoring, information sharing, peer support and process improvement; (2) team leaders who balance, over time, task- and relations-oriented behaviours; (3) higher-level leaders who keep offering the team face-to-face support, strategic clarity and tangible resources; (4) these three actors' endorsement of self-transcendence and openness-to-change work values and alignment, over time, with their behaviours; and (5) coactive vicarious learning-by-doing as a “stable collective activity pattern” among team, team leader, and higher-level leadership.

Originality/value

Since lean has been undertheorised, the authors invoked insights from organisational behaviour and management theories, in combination with various fine- and coarse-grained data, over time. The authors uncovered actors' behaviour-value patterns and a collective learning-by-doing pattern that may explain continuous lean team performance improvement. Four theory-enriching propositions were developed and visualised in a refined model which may already benefit lean practitioners.

Towards a high-performance HR bundle process for lean service operations

Purpose

This article presents an empirically induced “high-performance” “human resources (HR) bundle”, comprising six HR practices, for supporting lean service operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a multiple case study. A qualitative data set, including transcripts from 27 semistructured in-depth interviews with lean practitioners from across five service organizations that have adopted lean practices, was thematically analyzed to establish key HR practices on the road to lean maturity.

Findings

A “high-performance” HR bundle of three work practices and three employment practices emerged from the analysis. These practices typically mature implicitly rather than systematically to support organizations in successfully implementing lean service operations by resourcing the most suitable people for carefully defined roles, providing workers with extensive lean training opportunities, appraising workers' performances such that lean behaviours are recognized and rewarded and encouraging a participative teamworking culture.

Research limitations/implications

This article uses cross-sectional data from five case studies to induce a “high-performance” “HR bundle” theoretical model and process. A larger number of case studies and/or longitudinal data would add credence.

Practical implications

Lean service managers should regard HR practices as integral to the lean maturation process and might usefully conceive of them as processes allowing for greater management control to achieve incremental improvements to lean service provision.

Originality/value

The article provides deeper understanding of the importance of HR practice for lean service organizations and offers practical suggestions for managing HR practices in this context.