Why process improvement training fails

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying reasons why providing process improvement training, by itself, may not be sufficient to achieve the desired outcome of improved processes; and to attempt a conceptual framework of management training for more effective improvement.Design/methodology/approachTwo similar units within the same financial service group are studied specifically through online surveys, follow up interviews and a subsequent comparative study focusing on the disparity of outcome following the same training activities.FindingsThe research reveals three underlying reasons for the failure of the process improvement training: an un‐sound prerequisite knowledge basis, too short a time span for the feedback dynamics to take effect, and weak cultural commitment in the management population. A training provision framework that put those factors into a structure has been developed.Practical implicationsThe study clarifies the relations between many factors and puts emphasis on more fundamental organisational culture change. The developed framework provides direct guidance to process design and implementation to achieve the desired results.Originality/valueThe study represents the original firsthand empirical research over the last three years in a leading edge financial service organisation in the UK, which results in a novel conceptual framework that improves managerial practice.

Maturity grid development for energy and resource efficiency management in factories and early findings from its application

“…Similar levels of variation were presented by Electrolux in the bi-annual eceee industrial summer study in 2012 where the company demonstrates a 300% variation across 5 factories [14]. Furthermore, evidence of variations in waste produced has been significantly correlated with the process knowledge and amount of time spent on improvement by managers and team leaders [36]. This is a signal for improvements at process level that are not obvious to managers with limited knowledge of the production processes.…”

المعرفة الضمنية واستثمارها في تطوير إجراءات تأمين المنشآت الأمنية

“…According to Nour (2010), education and training enhance the incidences of share of knowledge in organizations. The training and management team can help build an organization's competitive advantage (Lu & Betts, 2011). Practice has proven the critical role of training and development in the success of change-introducing projects (Lau, 2010 (Pollitt, 2010).…”

“…Although training gives many advantages to individuals and organizations, training programmes are not always satisfactory. Lu and Betts (2011) claim that this is because of an inadequacy in the transfer of learning from training programs to the workplace. The main objective of training is the application of knowledge in an organization.…”

“…This view is endorsed in a study by Malhotra (2005), who notes that the annual corporate and government training expenditures in the KM context in the US is self-projected at over US$70 billion. Lu and Betts (2011) claim that developed countries spend billions of dollars each year on management training. Abd Rahman et al…”

Systems of Systems: Pure, and Applied to Lean Six Sigma

“…A primary criticism is the isolated nature of lean and six sigma leading to problems of compartmentalization, suboptimization and fragmentation causing the organization to suffer as a whole (Naslund, 2008). This isolation can result in the benefits of training not being realised (Lu & Betts, 2011). Similarly, Conti (2010) states that strategic fragmentation results from a lack of systemic perspective and there is a joint role for quality and systems thinking in value generation.…”