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1 – 3 of 3To become a sustainable lean manufacturing (LM) system, an organization must be first distinctly cognizant of the terms “lean” and “sustainability” as they relate to the state of…
Abstract
Purpose
To become a sustainable lean manufacturing (LM) system, an organization must be first distinctly cognizant of the terms “lean” and “sustainability” as they relate to the state of affairs of their particular industry and business. Next, the organization must identify and acquire the necessary qualities it needs to become sustainable in lean philosophy and its practices in the organization. The LM paradigm has been a top priority for many businesses; thus, this article is based on actual research done in Indian small and medium scale organizations to see how widely it is understood and implemented.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework was developed based on literature review and academic research. A preliminary analysis of a small number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that, conceptually, summarizes and demonstrates the concerted efforts that a company may undertake to increase its leanness. This conceptual model was employed to create a questionnaire that was administered to survey the SMEs of India. The information gathered through this questionnaire was analyzed using the model developed by the researchers. Then fuzzy logic and systems approach were used to find out the effectiveness index (EI) of the organization.
Findings
The EI for system leanness at different organizational levels within an organization is determined using fuzzy logic and systems approach for 48 SMEs in different clusters. The average EI of the system was found to be 0.336 on a scale of 0–1 which indicates that the current state of lean implementation and its sustainability is very low and poor in Indian SMEs. This article outlines the key model components and describes how they were applied to analyze the data gathered from an industry study.
Research limitations/implications
The research aims to make lean continuously sustainable by surfacing and eliminating the wastes in the Indian SMEs whenever it appears rather than using it as a cleaning tool. The present study was focused on India’s southern industrial areas and it was difficult to gather the information around the country due to its diverse industrial culture and geography. Hence, more research and the comparative study of the same that takes into account the various regions of the nation’s industrial lean behavior can be conducted.
Practical implications
The generalized sustainable lean framework analyzed using fuzzy logic and systems approach gives the current effectiveness of the leanness in SMEs of south India. This model can be effectively implemented in other areas of the nation to identify the scenario of lean and its sustainability and a final comprehensive model can be developed.
Originality/value
There is a dearth of comprehensive studies on the assessment of sustainability of the lean philosophy in Indian SMEs. With the help of combined fuzzy logic and systems approach, the model developed in this study evaluates the sustainability of the lean methodology using the EI used in SMEs by taking into account both the lean and sustainability factors as well as enablers like customer satisfaction, ethics, innovation and technology.
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Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) that operate with modest financial investments and commodities face numerous challenges to remain in business. One major philosophy used…
Abstract
Purpose
Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) that operate with modest financial investments and commodities face numerous challenges to remain in business. One major philosophy used by SMEs these days is the implementation of lean manufacturing to get solutions for various issues they encounter. But is lean getting sustained over time? The purpose of this research is to design a Sustainable Lean Performance Index (SLPI) to assess the sustainability of lean systems and to pinpoint the variables that might be present as potential lean system inhibitors which hinder the sustainability of leanness.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-level sustainable lean performance model is constructed and presented based on the literature research, field investigation and survey conducted by administering a questionnaire. Fuzzy logic approach is used to analyse the multi-level model.
Findings
SLPI for the SMEs is found using fuzzy logic approach. Additionally, the ranking score system is applied to categorise attributes into weak and strong categories. The performance of the current lean system is determined to be “fair” based on the Euclidean distance approach and the SLPI for SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
This work is concentrated only in South India because of the country’s vast geographical area and rich and wide diversity in industrial culture of the nation. Hence, more work can be done incorporating the other parts of the country and can analyse the lean behaviour in a comparative manner.
Practical implications
The generalised sustainable lean model analysed using fuzzy logic identifies the inhibitors and level of performance of SMEs in South India. This can be implemented to find out the level of performance in the SMEs after a deeper study and analysis around the SMEs of the country.
Originality
The sustainable assessment of lean parameters in the SMEs of India is found to be very less in literature, and it lacks profundity. The model established in this study assesses the sustainability of the lean methodology adopted in SMEs by considering the lean and sustainability attributes along with enablers like technology, ethics, customer satisfaction and innovation with the aid of fuzzy logic.
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Dorsaf Chaher and Lassaad Lakhal
This article aims to examine the direct and indirect effect among total quality management (TQM), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial and non-financial performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to examine the direct and indirect effect among total quality management (TQM), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial and non-financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical data were collected from a survey of 120 Tunisian certified firms using questionnaires. Structural equation path modeling PLS-SEM) was performed to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that TQM has no direct effect on financial performance (FP), while they positively impact non-financial performance (NFP) and CSR. The study also shows that CSR positively and significantly influences FP and NFP. In addition, it reveals the positive impact of FP on NFP. Furthermore, the results reveal an indirect effect of TQM on financial and non-financial performance through CSR.
Originality/value
The empirical study bridges the gap in the literature by analyzing the direct and indirect effect between TQM, CSR and performance in a single model. It also highlights the important role of CSR between TQM and financial and non-financial performance in the context of emerging countries.
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