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Understanding the Impact of Lean Production Implementation on Employee Perceptions and Their Well-Being in North American Commuter Rail Manufacturing Plants
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This study explores the effects of organizational information technology (IT) capability in determining organizational performance and sustainable competitive advantage. Building on the resource-based and knowledge-based views of a firm, the study proposes a theoretical framework. In this framework, organizational IT capability is theorized to strengthen organizational performance and sustainable competitive advantage, directly and indirectly, through organizational knowledge management capabilities. Data collected from the middle and senior managers of diverse organizations in an emerging economy have been used to test the relationships in the framework. To estimate the proposed relationships in the conceptual model, we use structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 3.2. The results confirm that organizational IT capability significantly impacts organizational performance and sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, organizational knowledge management capabilities partially mediate the relationship between IT capability and the outcomes (i.e., organizational performance and sustainable competitive advantage). The study concludes with a discussion of the implications for academicians and managers.
Adaptation of Lean construction ensures the likelihood of success and
achieves the project objectives. Identifying the barriers of lean
construction implementation is one effective way for adaption of lean
construction implementation. These barriers vary in different countries
based on, environment, culture, and other related factors. Despite the
importance of identifying the barriers for successful adaptation and lean
construction implementation, there are inadequate research studies that
cover and classify all important barriers in social, economic and
environmental aspects. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to
identify and classify all significant barriers to a sustainable lean
construction implementation through an extensive literature review. A
semi-structured format of Delphi interview was conducted to verify all
the classified and identified barriers. As a final point, this paper
proposes a hierarchical model for the important barriers of lean
construction implementation which could aid the decision and policy
makers in selecting the best strategy on how to deal with these
challenges.
Teamwork is considered essential for effective Lean organisations. However, how and why are teams formed during a successful Lean transformation relative to changes in organisational structure? Constructs for variables and factors that influence formation of teams, during and after Lean transformation maturity, were identified. The research employed a purposively sampled case study with three questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and multiple linear regression. Self-directed teams become flow-line or cellular-work teams, supported by dedicated cross-functional teams led by first line managers who run manufacturing cells as small business units. Participation of cellular team members leads to ongoing commitment and continuous improvement within the team leading to restructuring of organisations for effective flow and pull. Cross-functional team activity and self-directed team activities are vital components for successful Lean transformations. Constructive, humble, and common-sense leadership is required for team formations. Future research could investigate literacy coupled with Lean transformations for South African organisations.
Abbreviations: TPS: Toyota production system; JSE: Johannesburg stock exchange; SMED: single minute exchange of die; TW: Teamwork; PARTINV: Participation and Involvement; CELFM: Cellular Format – self-directed team activity; LHINT: Level of Horizontal Integration – cross-functional team activity; LOCDM: Locus of Decision-Making – by organisational level; TAG: Taguchi; CTR: Cycle Time Reduction; 5S: Five-S; TPM: Total Productive Maintenance; KAN: Kanban pull; VIS: Visibility; KAIZ: Kaizen; HOSHK: Hoshin Kanri; 7W: Seven wastes; PROB: Problem solving; STAND: Standard work; SPF: One Piece Flow; CM: Cellular Manufacturing; HEIJ: Heijunka; DISTVAL: Value per customer; VSM: Value Stream Mapping; POKJID: Mistake proofing; SMED: One digit exchange of die; POLDEP: Policy Deployment
At present, how to develop industries is a burning issue in Africa, where population growth remains high and economic development has thus far failed to provide sufficient jobs for many, especially young people and women. The creation of productive jobs through industrial development ought to be a central issue in steering economic activity across the continent.
The authors of this book, consisting of two development economists and five practitioners, argue that the adoption of Kaizen management practices, which originated in Japan and have become widely used by manufacturers in advanced and emerging economies, is decisively the most effective first step for industrial development in Africa.
This open access book discusses what Kaizen management is, why it is applicable to Africa, and why it can provide Africa with a springboard for sustainable economic growth and employment generation.
Keijiro Otsuka is Professor at the Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, Japan, and Chief Senior Researcher at the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan.
Kimiaki Jin is Senior Assistant Director of the Industrial Development and Public Policy Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan.
Tetsushi Sonobe is Vice President and Chair of the PhD Program Committee, Director of the GRIPS Global Governance Program and Professor of Development Economics at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan.
This article discusses the experience and the ideas of National Statistical Institutes from four countries – Portugal, Sweden, Canada, and the Netherlands – in order to build a fully automated data collection system, to provide a system-to-system (S2S) data exchange or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between all stakeholders in the production chain. This joint work is a summary of an invited session at the Fifth International Conference on Establishment Surveys, which was devoted to ‘the future of business data collection’. Taken together, the four presentations provide an overview of recent experiences with S2S/EDI data collection for financial business data. The basis for such a system is an integrated unbroken digital information chain that runs from the recording of financial data in computerised administrative systems of individual businesses all the way to publishing economic statistics – the Business Information Chain. This chain can be ‘closed’ and made into a cycle by including a feedback loop, for example by providing benchmark data to businesses. However, to make it happen, technical standardisation, vertical and horizontal conceptual harmonisation between all partners in the chain, and positive business cases for all partners are needed. The article starts by putting EDI developments in historical perspective.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the process of achieving Lean Manufacturing (LM) success.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses interpretive structural modeling and captures the opinions of a group of LM experts from a world-class Japanese automobile manufacturer, to map the interrelationships among potential determinants of LM success. This study further uses the data from a survey of 122 leading automobile part manufacturers by performing structural equation modeling to empirically test the research model proposed.
Findings
Management support and commitment, financial resources availability, information technology competence for LM, human resources management, production process simplicity, supportive culture and supply chain-wide integration are the key determinants that directly or indirectly determine the level of achievement of LM success.
Research limitations/implications
The determinants of LM success as experienced by Asian automobile manufacturers might be different from determinants of LM success as experienced by Western automobile manufacturers. An interesting direction for future research would be to capture the experts’ inputs from Western automobile manufacturers to complement the findings of this study.
Practical implications
The practical contribution of this study lays in the development of linkages among various LM success determinants. Utility of the proposed interpretive structural modeling and structural equation modeling methodologies imposing order, direction and significance of the relationships among elements of LM success assumes considerable value to the decision-makers and LM practitioners.
Originality/value
Building on opinions of a group of LM experts and a case study of leading auto part manufacturers, the present study strives to model the success of LM, a topic that has received little attention to date.
Despite companies’ efforts to develop lean thinking in their industrial context, the implementation of many lean projects has not been consistently successful, often resulting in delay, failure, abandonment or rejection. Whereas some authors emphasised that company characteristics, like the product demand profile, are significant factors in lean projects, other studies analysed the impact of national culture. This paper aims to study the combined effect of various factors related to national culture and company characteristics of lean implementation barriers in order to determine whether the environmental context in which the company operation can affect the outcome of lean project implementation. A survey has been conducted to collect information about companies of various sizes (small–medium–large) in all industry fields. Data from companies, including manufacturing firms, in 23 different countries, were analysed in depth by a combination of Association Rules and Network Analysis. The results show that some national culture dimensions, such as Performance Orientation and Gender Egalitarianism, influence lean management success and help to maintain a lean culture. Maintaining a lean culture is even more critical than developing it. Furthermore, if the implementation of lean practices is an arduous task for large organisations, it becomes even greater for SMEs. Other cultural factors of individuals such as Uncertainty Avoidance, Future Orientation and Institutional Collectivism also help to support a lean culture and overcome human and cultural barriers.
The main goal of this paper is to deepen understanding for Lean as a science of work based on flow. Flow here is the process of energy moving through a system. The paper first presents the three main elements of a science. It then deals with internal consistency for Lean as a scientific knowledge system with a need to discard the notion of ‘truth’. Third, the paper delves into Lean as collaborative science. Finally, focus shifts to individual and team flow and how a Lean culture creates the conditions and relations for optimal individual and team flow for increased creativity and innovation. The authors conclude that a deeper understanding of Lean can help more organizations prosper.