The role of communication and management support in a lean manufacturing implementation

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of management support in a lean implementation. The impact the lean implementation made on communication within the organization is also examined. Design/methodology/approach-Qualitative methods were used to study the relationships between management support, organizational communications, and a lean manufacturing implementation. A case study was conducted in an electronics manufacturing company in the northwestern USA. Data were collected over a three-month time period. The data were coded using an evolving coding scheme and analysis was performed on the resulting data set. Findings-Evidence was found to support the supposition that management support does play a role in driving a lean manufacturing implementation. Management support impacted the lean manufacturing implementation both negatively and positively. The research also found moderate support for improved communication in the organization attributable to the lean implementation. Research limitations/implications-The organization studied was in the early stages of implementing lean manufacturing practices and principles. Future research should include multiple organizations with a longer history of lean manufacturing. Practical implications-The research findings identified management support and communications as important variables in a lean manufacturing implementation. Furthermore, there is evidence that these variables are critical in not only the implementation of lean manufacturing practices and principles, but also in the ongoing planning and deployment efforts of organizational leaders. Originality/value-This research provided empirical evidence for the role of management support and communication in an organization's lean implementation. The findings highlight the importance of studying organizational phenomenon within real-world settings. As a result of the methodology used, both positive and negative implications were identified. The research design has enabled the uncovering of a complex set of relationships that existed between two sociocultural variables and an organization's effort to improve performance through the implementation of lean practices.

Estudo de um fluxo interno de materiais baseado na filosofia Lean Manufacturing

“…Em contrapartida, existem diversas formas empíricas de mudança que podem ser aplicadas para otimizar esse tipo de sistema, geralmente relacionadas a ações individuais promovidas pela força operária mas que, infelizmente, não disponibilizam aos envolvidos os recursos técnicos necessários para realizar-se a correta análise da situação encontrada e dos modos nos quais os itens estão sendo estocados, além da falta de consistência dos dados utilizados na busca da real causa-raiz dos problemas detectados (Jones & Womack, 2003;Worley & Doolen, 2006;Slack et al, 2008;Nasab et al, 2012;Neuenfeldt Júnior et al, 2014).…”

Increasing Production and Eliminating Waste through Lean Tools and Techniques for Halal Food Companies

“…Lack of top management support for change is another key problematic issue reported in the literature [47,49,56]. Since all activities in a company, from planning to implementation, are conducted under the supervision of senior managers, the absence of their support will cause implementing lean tools and techniques to fail [57].…”

Social Network Theory and Management of the Sub-supply Network in Complex Sectors

“…According to Puvanasvaran et al (2009) communication is very important in organization management. Therefore, in generic terms, an effective and efficient communication network is a vehicle to function in a competitive economic network (Le Vassan, 1994;Wartner, 1985;Worley and Doolen, 2006). However, communication itself is influenced by many different interlinking factors.…”