Guilherme Tortorella, Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy, Moacir Godinho Filho, Alberto Portioli Staudacher and Alejandro Francisco Mac Cawley
This paper aims at examining the impact that COVID-19 pandemic and its related work implications have on the relationship between lean implementation and service performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at examining the impact that COVID-19 pandemic and its related work implications have on the relationship between lean implementation and service performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The author surveyed service organizations that have been implementing lean for at least two years and remotely maintained their activities during the COVID-19 outbreak. Multivariate data techniques were applied to analyze the dataset. This study was grounded on sociotechnical systems theory.
Findings
The findings indicate that organizations that have been implementing lean services more extensively are also more likely to benefit from the effects that the COVID-19 had on work environments, especially in the case of home office. Nevertheless, social distancing does not appear to mediate the effects of lean services on both quality and delivery performances.
Originality/value
Since the pandemic is a recent phenomenon with unprecedented effects, this research is an initial effort to determine the effect the pandemic has on lean implementation and services' performance, providing both theoretical and practical contributions to the field.
Details
Keywords
Guilherme Tortorella, Tarcisio Abreu Saurin, Flavio Sanson Fogliatto, Diego Tlapa, José Moyano-Fuentes, Paolo Gaiardelli, Zahra Seyedghorban, Roberto Vassolo, Alejandro Francisco Mac Cawley, Vijaya Sunder M, V. Raja Sreedharan, Santiago Alfredo Sena and Friedrich Franz Forstner
In this paper, the authors examine the impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies on the relationship between total productive maintenance (TPM) practices and maintenance…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, the authors examine the impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies on the relationship between total productive maintenance (TPM) practices and maintenance performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection was carried out through a multinational survey with 318 respondents from different manufacturing companies located in 15 countries. Multivariate data techniques were applied to analyze the collected data. Diffusion of innovations theory (DIT) was the adopted theoretical lens for our research.
Findings
The authors’ findings indicate that I4.0 technologies that aim to process information to support decision-making and action-taking directly affect maintenance performance. Technologies oriented to sensing and communicating data among machines, people, and products seem to moderate the relationship between TPM practices and maintenance performance. However, the extent of such moderation varies according to the practices involved, sometimes leading to negative effects.
Originality/value
With the advances of I4.0, there is an expectation that several maintenance practices and performance may be affected. Our study provides empirical evidence of these relationships, unveiling the role of I4.0 for maintenance performance improvement.
Details
Keywords
Guilherme Tortorella, Anupama Prashar, Jiju Antony, Alejandro Francisco Mac Cawley, Roberto Vassolo and Michael Sony
This study examines the moderating role of leadership behaviours on the relationship between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) maturity and operational performance in manufacturers.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the moderating role of leadership behaviours on the relationship between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) maturity and operational performance in manufacturers.
Design/methodology/approach
For that, 189 leaders from manufacturing organisations located in India and Brazil that are undergoing I4.0 implementation were surveyed. The collected data was analysed using multivariate data techniques, which allowed to verify the validity of our research hypotheses. This study was grounded on the concepts from the socio-technical systems (STS) theory.
Findings
The findings indicated that task-oriented leadership behaviours positively moderate the relationship between technologies for digitalisation and operational performance. A similar effect was found for the interaction between change-oriented leadership behaviours and strategy for digitalisation. In turn, the moderating effects of relations-oriented and change-oriented leadership behaviours were negative when considering the I4.0 maturity dimensions of employee and culture for digitalisation and technology for digitalisation, respectively.
Originality/value
This study offers arguments to better understand the role of leaders' behaviours in the digitalisation of organisations. Changing behaviours is usually a long-term and time-consuming activity. The identification of the leadership behaviours that are more likely to support digitalisation allows companies to anticipate potential issues and prioritise efforts to assertively develop leaders.