Modeling management behaviors in lean production environments
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 5 February 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and empirically validate a repertoire of management behaviors associated with the adoption of lean systems, showing how a subset of such behaviors differentiates more advanced lean systems in a specific setting.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies regression analysis and non-parametric hypothesis testing to an original data set coming from field research of 26 cases of adoption of lean operations practices.
Findings
The study: identifies in the lean literature a repertoire of management behaviors that support lean implementations and complement the adoption of lean practices; provides a way to operationalize them; validates this repertoire of behaviors; and shows that a subset of these behaviors is associated with more advanced lean implementations, suggesting the necessity to adopt a situational approach to lean leadership.
Research limitations/implications
The findings have boundary conditions, defined by the national, industrial, and size context in which the study was conducted.
Practical implications
The study provides practical guidance for lean system implementation suggesting a repertoire of management behaviors within which firms can identify and validate specific, appropriate subsets of behaviors aligned with the company strategy, culture, size, environment, bundle of lean operation practices adopted, and maturity stage of lean adoption.
Originality/value
This is the first study to provide quantitative, non-anecdotal evidence of the relationship between specific management behaviors and the successful implementation of lean operations practices. It offers a novel method to operationalize and measure lean management behaviors.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank James Womack, Dan Jones, John Shook, Takahiro Fujimoto, Peter Ward, John O’Donnell, John Paul MacDuffie, Josè Ferro, Mario Nardi, Monica Rossi, Riccardo Pavanato, Andrea Vinelli, Michael Ballé, Tom Jackson, René Aernoudts, Oriol Cuatrecasas and Desirée van Dun for comments and suggestions at various stages of the research on which this paper is based. Participants at the DSI, EUROMA and Academy of Management conferences, as well as at seminars at Bocconi University, ETH Zurich and UZH also contributed to the development of the paper. The authors also thank Raffaele Secchi, Chiara Paolino, Francesca Chiara, Davide Riccardo Weber, Roberto Ronzani and Melania Frattini who greatly helped with data gathering during the field research. Financial support was generously provided by the National Center for the Middle Market, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University, Auxiell and Banco BPM.
Citation
Camuffo, A. and Gerli, F. (2018), "Modeling management behaviors in lean production environments", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 403-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-12-2015-0760
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited