Environmental comfort based (ECB) methodology as a tool for preparing Kaizen application in a catering service company

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology that is based on the concept of environmental comfort and can serve as a tool that can help companies and employees to implement Kaizen projects. This methodology focuses on the worker’s participation in analyzing and developing improvements related to their workplace. Design/methodology/approach This research is focused on the development of a methodology that encourages worker participation in improvement activities, through the analysis of their working conditions. For this purpose, the proposed methodology was developed in accordance with the dimensions of workplace comfort proposed by Vischer. The employees start working on the analysis of problems and their solutions through the logical framework approach, as it is a tool that encourages worker participation and consensus. The developed methodology was applied in a company, with three different groups of people, which enabled the authors to test its utility. Findings The findings reveal that the proposed methodology is effective in initiating workers in the path of Kaizen. The employees who applied this methodology were able to propose improvement actions that addressed the problems and opportunities that they had previously detected. Moreover, the questionnaire that was used to validate the methodology and was administered to employees shows that the methodology is useful in preparing them for adopting continuous improvement (CI) programs. Research limitations/implications The methodology presented in this paper has been applied and evaluated by a small number of employees. These limitations suggest future research recommendations. Practical implications This participatory methodology could be used by different types of companies to initiate employees on the path of CI, even if they are not familiar with improvement programs or methodologies. In addition, its use could improve the capabilities of employees in areas such as participatory analysis, problem identification and proposal of objectives. These capabilities are necessary in any Kaizen project. As a result of the application of this methodology, the companies could obtain a list of areas of improvement related to their work and propose actions to work on. Originality/value The paper presents the use of environmental comfort in the workplace as the first step in accomplishing a Kaizen project, with a focus on the employee involvement and consensus.

Application of Kaizen philosophy for enhancing manufacturing industries’ performance: exploratory study of Ethiopian chemical industries

“…In the analysis of Kaizen in the preceding literature, most of the research initiatives were focused with the following issues or themes: systematic literature reviews (Álvarez-García et al , 2018; Carnerud et al , 2018) of Kaizen articles and origins and characteristics of Kaizen philosophy (Méndez and Vila-Alonso, 2018; Chung, 2018; Chiarini et al , 2018), case studies and implementation in manufacturing (Fonseca and Dominguez, 2018) and services (Chen, 2018), drivers and barriers in Kaizen application (Alvarado-Ramírez et al , 2018; Jaca et al , 2018; Marín-García et al , 2018), Kaizen events and their CSFs (González-Aleu et al , 2018). Moreover, Suárez-Barraza et al (2011) found that Kaizen appears to refer to two kinds.…”

“…However, the identified practices are not analogous and lack evenness. For example, Prajogo and Sohal (2004) state, based on Jaca et al (2018), the most relevant enablers for attaining a CI culture in companies are: top management support and commitment, strategic focus on CI through the definition of an appropriate set of goals and objectives, using the right methodology to implement CI throughout the whole organization, creating and sustaining a CI culture, employee support and commitment, good information, communication and knowledge-transfer systems and having a CI management and follow-up system to track the CI. Other scholars (Marín-García et al , 2018) also identified 14 facilitators: good communication, assertive behavior, self-efficacy, knowledge management, training, leadership, compensation systems, intrinsic motivation, feedback about suggestions, participating in the implementation, protocol, enterprise culture, group composition and sufficient resources.…”

“…To congregate these challenges, to survive and successfully compete in a market, companies have to use the best management philosophies, strategies and tools (Hailu et al , 2020; Abate and Mengesha, 2020; Suárez-Barraza and Miguel-Davila, 2020). Kaizen is one of the best management philosophies that is widely accepted not only in manufacturing industries but also in business, service, commerce (Brunet and New, 2003; Jaca et al , 2018). Kaizen is a Japanese concept that was translated in the Western culture as “continuous improvement,” which could be applied in different aspects/roles in life, such as personal, social and professional (Imai, 1986; Berger, 1997).…”

Introduction to the special issue on Kaizen: an ancient operation innovation strategy for organizations of the XXI century

“…Another selected paper is the one presented by Jaca et al (2018). It links Kaizen to an environmental methodology as a driver to implement Kaizen in Spanish companies.…”

Exploring the relationship between the workplace environment, employee wellbeing, and productivity

“…Whilst empirical tests linking these concepts to specific aspects of job performance remain rare, the model has proven to be popular in terms of informing the different criteria to consider during a workplace evaluation (e.g., Jaca et al, 2018;Naccarella et al, 2018).…”