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This paper aims to develop a knowledge-based (KB) system for Lean Six Sigma (LSS) maintenance in environmentally sustainable buildings (Lean6-SBM).

The Lean6-SBM conceptual framework has been developed using the rule base approach of KB system and joint integration with gauge absence prerequisites (GAP) technique. A comprehensive literature review is given for the main pillars of the framework with a typical output of GAP analysis.

Implementation of LSS in the sustainable building maintenance context requires a pre-assessment of the organisation’s capabilities. A conceptual framework with a design structure is proposed to tackle this issue with the provision of an enhancing strategic and operational decision-making hierarchy.

Future research work might consider validating this framework in other type of industries.

Maintenance activities in environmentally sustainable buildings must take prodigious standards into consideration, and, therefore, a robust quality assurance measure has to be integrated.

The significance of this research is to present a novel use of hybrid KB/GAP methodologies to develop a Lean6-SBM system. The originality and novelty of this approach will assist in identifying quality perspectives while implementing different maintenance strategies in the sustainable building context.

This paper aims to present the development of a knowledge-based system (KBS) to support the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (L6s) principles applied to enhance quality management (QM) performance within a health-care environment.

The process of KBS building has been started by acquiring knowledge from experts in field of L6σ and QM in health care. The acquired knowledge has been represented in a rule-based approach for capturing L6σ practices. These rules are produced in IF […].THEN way where IF is the premise and THEN is the action. The produced rules have been integrated with gauging absence pre-requisites (GAP) technique to facilitate benchmarking of best practice in a health-care environment. A comprehensive review of the structure of the system is given, detailing a typical output of the KBS.

Implementation of L6s principles to enhance QM performance in a health-care environment requires a pre-assessment of the organisation’s competences. The KBS provides an enhanced strategic and operational decision-making hierarchy for achieving a performance benchmark.

The KBS needs validation in real health-care environment, which will be done in Oman’s hospitals.

The paper is intended to benefit QM practitioners in the health-care sector during decision-making to achieve performance improvement against a best practice benchmark.

This research presents a novel application of a hybrid KBS with GAP methodology to support the implementation of L6s principles to enhance QM performance in a health-care environment.

The purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge management (KM) tool which has been designed to support the creation of virtual knowledge sharing networks (KSNs). It is a software‐based application that enables the sharing of knowledge related to the implementation of manufacturing excellence (ME) best practices and improvement tools.

A survey of SMEs was carried out to investigate the implementation of ME best practices. The results indicated that that the main barrier to the implementation of best practices, quality models and improvement tools is a lack of knowledge about these initiatives due to the resource constraints experienced by SMEs. This led to the development of a KM tool to support the creation of virtual networks to enable SMEs to manage improvement projects and share effectively the generated knowledge. The KM tool is currently at the stage of validation and its future implementation is also under consideration.

The KM tool supports the creation of KSNs through an explicit KM approach to share ideas, experiences and knowledge about implementation of best practices and improvement tools; helping SMEs to become more competitive.

This research has demonstrated that is possible to provide a KM tool that is suitable for use by a KSN of SMEs. This approach allows transferring some of the tacit and explicit knowledge generated during the implementation of improvement initiatives into electronic documents for future consultation by KSN members.

The KM tool works not only as an electronic repository for knowledge, but it also drives users to apply and share knowledge through its capability to help managing improvement projects.

This paper presents a practical methodology for developing a process‐based knowledge management system (KMS) for supporting continuous improvement (CI) and asset management.

An action research methodology was used to develop a KMS to support CI in a manufacturing company. The KMS is evaluated through application in the case study company. This methodology ensures a consistent approach to carrying out all improvement initiatives. The final part of the methodology addresses the construction of an intranet‐based knowledge warehouse. This contains several searchable areas such as existing information on assets, new knowledge generated from projects, details of expertise in the business and links to the key business drivers through the corporate intranet.

The KMS is shown to support CI initiatives through the utilization of available data already held within the company's management databases (production, quality and maintenance) including consideration of corporate strategic plans. Process models trigger the application of improvement tools and projects in a true CI environment.

This methodology acknowledges both tacit and explicit knowledge within the company, and it represents an appropriate environment to promote and develop a true learning organization.

The system developed is shown to be flexible and has been implemented in a manufacturing environment. Financial benefits are presented.

The approach used is novel and integrates several areas of IT and process improvement techniques. The resulting methodology is applicable to large and small companies without requiring major IT support facilities. The methodology supports the development of true learning organizations.

Delivering premium services and quality products are critical strategies for success in manufacturing. Continuous improvement (CI), as an underlying foundation for quality management, is an ongoing effort allowing manufacturing companies to see beyond the present to create a bright future. We propose a novel integrated fuzzy framework for analyzing the barriers to the implementation of CI in manufacturing companies.

We use the fuzzy failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and a fuzzy Shannon's entropy to identify and weigh the most significant barriers. We then use fuzzy multi-objective optimization based on ratio analysis (MOORA), the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and fuzzy simple additive weighting (SAW) methods for prioritizing and ranking the barriers with each method. Finally, we aggregate these results with Copeland's method and extract the main CI implementation barriers in manufacturing.

We show “low cooperation and integration of the team in CI activities” is the most important barrier in CI implementation. Other important barriers are “limited management support in CI activities,” “low employee involvement in CI activities,” “weak communication system in the organization,” and “lack of knowledge in the organization to implement CI projects.”

We initially identify the barriers to the implementation of CI through rigorous literature review and then apply a unique integrated fuzzy approach to identify the most important barriers based on the opinions of industry experts and academics.

This paper establishes a comprehensive basis for understanding the roles and competences of mid-level management and their influence on the effectiveness of continuous improvement (CI) capability within an organisation.

This research builds upon the hypothesis that methods alone do not lead to successful CI capability development. It focuses on the role of mid-level management in driving a CI environment that underpins the effectiveness of CI capability. A reference model for the CI environment is synthesised based on critical literature review, integrating CI culture, CI enablers and CI leadership elements. A comprehensive framework is introduced to define CI leadership roles and competence indicators. A quantitative benchmarking study involving structured interviews with 15 UK organisations was undertaken to collect evidence for a causal relationship between CI leadership competences and CI capability.

Analysis of the benchmarking data provides clear evidence of the causal relationship between the CI leadership competences of mid-level management and CI capability of the organisation. Given that the empirical study was structured on the basis of the CI leadership roles and competences framework introduced in this paper, this also provides validation for the proposed framework and the CI environment model.

The evidence-based knowledge of the positive relationship between the mid-management CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability informs strategic organisational development interventions towards enhancing CI capability and effectiveness, ultimately underpinning productivity enhancement and sustainability. The framework for mid-level management CI leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this paper and grounded in underpinning work undertaken within a large automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), can be adapted by any organisation. The CI environment reference model should provide a comprehensive support for strategists to communicate the framework for CI capability improvement within an organisation, to enhance acceptability and adherence to improvement actions.

This research proves for the first time the significance of the causal relationship between the CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability within an organisation, thus filling an important gap between established previous work, focussing on the role of mid-level management on one side and practitioner and team level roles, methodologies and tools. The proposed CI environment model is a theoretical contribution with reference value for both practice and further studies. The comprehensive framework for mid-level management CI leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this paper provides sound foundation to deliver CI leadership in the workplace.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in many businesses. A difficult process has been experienced for businesses caught unprepared for this situation. The purpose of the study, the difficulties experienced in the business have been mapped in terms of crisis management.

For this purpose, crisis management strategies have been discussed in terms of lean six sigma (LSS) strategies. Afterward, LSS strategies have been weighted with the spherical fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method, which has been recently introduced to the literature (Gündogdu and Kahraman, 2020). While weighting has been done with the spherical fuzzy AHP method, three experts in the field of LSS at the master blackbelt level have been studied.

The Covid-19 process has caused the usual processes of businesses to change. Businesses do not have enough time to adapt their business processes in the Covid-19 process. To eliminate waste and time in the Covid-19 process, the lean methodology was used. At the same time, quality deficiencies have been tried to be eliminated with the six sigma methodology. Therefore, the six sigma methodology and lean techniques should be considered together. With LSS, the adaptation of this process has been wanted to be accelerated. In this context, the criteria in the Covid-19 process were prioritized and losses were reduced in accordance with the LSS methodology. In this study, the most important criterion during the covid-19 pandemic has been determined as “responding to the changing needs of customers” and the least important criterion has been determined as “communication with stakeholders in enterprises.”

This study has been applied the Covid-19 pandemics. So, it has been evaluated related to these specific criteria.

Covid-19 crisis management was examined for the first time within the scope of the LSS methodology. The criteria in the Covid-19 process were determined by six sigma expert master black belts. For the first time, spherical fuzzy AHP, one of the multi-criteria decision methods, has been applied to the Covid-19 process.

This study has been aimed to create a roadmap to apply LSS steps in businesses against a possible second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, it is thought that the study will fill the following gaps in the literature: Covid-19 crisis management was examined for the first time within the scope of LSS methodology. The criteria in the Covid-19 process were determined by six sigma expert master black belts. For the first time, spherical fuzzy AHP, one of the multi-criteria decision methods, has been applied to the Covid-19 process.

Over the last few decades, some researchers have analysed the role of total quality management (TQM) as a precursor of innovation. However, the relationship between TQM and organisational innovation remains unclear and contradictory. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework intended to clarify the complex effect that the implementation of a TQM system has on organisational innovation, where market orientation (MO) and knowledge management (KM) play a mediator role.

Data in this study come from a survey of 706 Spanish CEOs. The results were analysed employing structural equation modelling to determine how TQM, MO and KM influence innovation.

The results of the empirical study show that there is a curvilinear effect between TQM and organisational innovation. Both MO and KM perspectives play a mediator role between TQM and innovation.

Managers should be aware that management based on TQM help organisations not only to get higher quality but also to be market oriented and better manage their knowledge; what will help them to develop innovations.

This research sheds light on the question of the relationship between TQM and organisational innovation that has received mixed conclusions in the literature. There is evidence in this research that the relationship between TQM and innovation responds to a curvilinear relationship, where high levels of TQM favour a more than proportionate effect on the development of innovation. It also clarifies the mechanisms by which this effect is produced, with MO and KM as mediator variables.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically synthesize the extant literature of knowledge sharing (KS) and knowledge transfer (KT) in the small and medium enterprise (SME) context and to contribute with predictions of emerging themes.

Applied is a systematic literature review using three bibliometric techniques: (1) textual analysis for keywords and abstracts to identify the research hotspots, (2) co-citation analysis of references to identify the evolution of KS and KT in SME and (3) bibliographic coupling analysis of documents to synthesize antecedents and outcomes.

A conceptual map emerges from the review to reveal the antecedents of KS and KT at the individual, group and organizational levels. The analysis shows the strategic importance of KS and KT for the SME context. Specific findings include: (1) KS and KT are involved in enhancing SMEs strategic focus for human resources, including organizational learning, customer relations, creativity, higher profit and positive effects on operational processes and decision-making. (2) Innovation, trust and performance are identified as central human factors linked to KS and KT in SMEs. (3) Human resource (HR) management research could contribute to KS and KT in the SME domain by exploring KS- and KT-based practices, linking the emergence of innovation and innovative behaviors to these practices, leading to a better understanding of strategies that enable the long-term storage and retrieval of tacit and explicit knowledge as organizational memory in the SME context.

This paper is one of the first to systematically review KS and KT in SMEs and propose a concept map. The research adds value to the growing literature of KS and KT and exposes the need for more specific activities to support SME managers, as well as HR managers, who need to facilitate KS and KT in SMEs.

The purpose of this study is to explore, understand and investigate the relationship between national culture and knowledge management (KM) process.

This study is based on systematically and objectively capturing the contents of extant research papers published by researchers in this area by using the literature review methodology.

The study demonstrates significant relationship between national culture and KM process. Further, it also provides directions for future research.

The study will help top management to understand and appreciate the impact of national culture on KM process in organization, where people from different nations are working together. The management may apply appropriate organizational interventions to manage people of different national cultures in effective manner and effective utilization of knowledge of the organization through KM process. This paper will be considered as a quick reference and resource for anyone interested in this area.

This study is a comprehensive literature review of influence of national culture on KM process. Further, it also sets the research agenda for future researchers.