Saumyaranjan Sahoo and Sudhir Yadav
The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which lean management practices are adopted by small- and medium-sized manufacturing organizations in India and their impact…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which lean management practices are adopted by small- and medium-sized manufacturing organizations in India and their impact on firm’s operational performance (OP). Also, the paper makes an attempt to identify the barriers and challenges faced by Indian SMEs that are striving to succeed with improvement efforts based on lean manufacturing.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, acceptability and implementation of lean manufacturing in Indian Manufacturing SMEs were analyzed using three constructs, namely, process improvement (PI), flow management (FM) and waste minimization (WM). The responding firms were categorized into “lean-Beginners,” “In-transition lean” and “lean” group based on their phases of lean implementation. Using a survey questionnaire, data were collected from 121 manufacturing SMEs in India. Lean tools and barriers, identified from the literature review, were also included in the survey. The reliability and validity of the practice and performance measures were evaluated. Correlation analysis was employed to investigate the effects of three constructs on OP.
Findings
The results indicate that all the three lean constructs are significantly related to OP. In the context of Indian manufacturing SMEs, “PI” and “WM” practices have shown a higher level of significance on OP, compared to “FM” practices. “5S -workplace organization” was found to be the most practiced lean tool. “Attitude of workmen” was highlighted as the main obstacle in successfully implementing lean. The findings suggest overall positive effects as a result of applying lean tools and philosophy in Indian SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
The research results may lack qualitative justification because of the chosen research approach. Therefore, the researchers are encouraged to explore the inter-relationship among various lean tools/practices and performance criteria by conducting a qualitative study in the form of a case study or action research.
Practical implications
This paper is a beneficial source of information that highlights the contribution of lean implementation in enhancing manufacturing productivity. The major tools and techniques used by Indian SMEs have been highlighted and discussed; it could be a genuine source of motivation to lean practitioner and entrepreneurs of SMEs to go in for lean implementation. The findings are also expected to benefit the lean practitioners and entrepreneurs of SMEs to focus on vital issues to facilitate successful lean implementation in an organization.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that practical implication of lean implementation can bring real breakthroughs in productivity to small- and medium-scale manufacturing firms.
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Saumyaranjan Sahoo and Sudhir Yadav
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and total quality management (TQM) on the performance of small- and medium-sized…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and total quality management (TQM) on the performance of small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
Frameworks for describing EO and TQM derived from the literature were reviewed and used to develop a questionnaire. The hypothesized relationships of this model are tested with the data collected from 121 manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by using AMOS. The approach has been directed toward justification of EO and TQM strategy for its support to competitive manufacturing in the context of Indian manufacturing industries.
Findings
The results indicate that EO plays an influential role on the adoption of TQM strategy, and also has a direct effect on firm performance (FP). The results also indicate that the significance of the direct effect of EO on FP is reduced when the indirect effect of EO through TQM is included in the total effect model. Firms with higher level of EO will be more successful in adopting TQM strategy, which helps them in developing new capabilities that allow them to achieve better performance.
Research limitations/implications
The research is cross-sectional in nature and, therefore, it does not permit us to account for the lag between implementation and performance. Second, the performance measures are subjective and may be subject to response bias.
Practical implications
The study presented in this paper offers entrepreneurs, academics and practitioners a better understanding of the relationship and impact of the EO and TQM on the manufacturing performance. Thus, entrepreneurs and practitioners will be able to make better and more effective decisions about the implementation of TQM practices.
Originality/value
By linking EO strategy and TQM practices to world-class manufacturing practices and performance in Indian manufacturing SMEs, this research adds a new dimension to study of world-class manufacturing and more generally to the best practices and practice-performance debates. This knowledge is important and unique, because it emphasizes that in addition to quality management practices, which are focused on efficient process management aspects of the organization, EO should also be given equal emphasis, in order to improve manufacturing performance of SMEs.
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Saumyaranjan Sahoo and Sudhir Yadav
Total productive maintenance and total quality management are two lean manufacturing initiatives that are used by manufacturing plant managers to improve operations capabilities…
Abstract
Purpose
Total productive maintenance and total quality management are two lean manufacturing initiatives that are used by manufacturing plant managers to improve operations capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of standalone lean practices and lean bundles on manufacturing business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was used. The survey data were drawn from 160 manufacturing organizations in India. The respondent companies were grouped on the basis of the duration of lean production in operation and then classified based on the profile of their operations strategy. The approach, based on comparative assessment between standalone lean practices and lean bundles, has been directed toward justification of lean bundles for its support to competitive manufacturing in the context of the Indian manufacturing sector.
Findings
The paper establishes the long-term effects of lean bundles in significantly improving manufacturing business performance as compared to standalone lean practices. Further findings of the study revealed the significance of the duration of lean production in operation in achieving higher levels of manufacturing business performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study is cross-sectional in nature. It would be interesting to test the analytical framework adopted for this study for more industries and in different countries. The use of subjective measures in survey questionnaire is also another limitation of the study.
Practical implications
This study offers clear implications for practitioners, proving that they should give higher emphasis on the implementation of lean bundles using total productive maintenance and total quality management practices together, to prioritize their product, production and business strategies, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
Originality/value
This paper empirically examines and evaluates the effect of lean practices and bundles in the context of medium- and large-sized manufacturing industries in India. Besides, there are very few studies that comparatively assess the differences in performance contribution of various lean operational strategies considering duration of implementation of lean. Also, the theoretical contribution of the study establishes the essence of integrating total productive management and total quality management for attaining world class manufacturing is of high value.
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The internationalization of pharmaceutical firms faces major barriers in terms of managing regulatory requirements in various international markets. This paper aims to identify…
Abstract
Purpose
The internationalization of pharmaceutical firms faces major barriers in terms of managing regulatory requirements in various international markets. This paper aims to identify the requirements related to regulations in various markets of the world. It further seeks to identify how the firms develop such capabilities i.e. processes undertaken by the firms to develop regulatory capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is exploratory in nature. Case study method is adopted to study the requirements related to regulations in international markets and processes to build regulatory capabilities.
Findings
To manage regulatory requirements firms need knowledge related to plant approval and product registration. Firms have to submit dossiers to the respective country's regulatory authority to get plant approval and product registration. They can simultaneously apply for both to save time to enter the target market. The requirements for each market are unique in terms of format and contents for dossier preparation. Dossier preparation needs data from various departments which calls for good coordination among various functional areas, i.e. production, QA and QC, R&D, purchasing, etc. If the firm has operations in multiple markets and offers multiple products in a single market the regulatory function is separately organized for less regulated, semi‐regulated and regulated markets.
Practical implications
Pharmaceutical firms targeting international markets can get insight into the regulatory requirements and the process to be adopted to build regulatory requirements.
Originality/value
The paper shows that firms use a systematic process to build capabilities for managing regulations. The paper also offers a process model for firms to build regulatory capabilities for internationalization.
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Manisha Sudhir Lande and Sudhir Lande
In the era of the circular economy, the economic growth of a country is highly dependent on the sustainable performance of the manufacturing sector. In today’s increasingly…
Abstract
Purpose
In the era of the circular economy, the economic growth of a country is highly dependent on the sustainable performance of the manufacturing sector. In today’s increasingly competitive world, it is important to constantly improve the manufacturing or service industry. Quality with quantity is a main characteristic, which helps a company stay in the competition. Flexibility and responsiveness to customer demands are very important for success. Generally, additional time is needed for setup caused by poor design of equipment. At this point, the terms continuous process improvement and single-minute exchange of dies (SMED) as an approach of lean manufacturing come into play. Lean manufacturing system has been identified as an approach for improving the performance of the process and product.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, high setup time is considered as major problem in the industry and a major cause and effect for high setup time was found. On the basis of the literature review and experts’ opinions, four categories of barriers, namely method, manpower, machine and tools are identified. In this study, a hybrid approach comprising of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and graph theoretic approach (GTA) has been used. First, prioritization of different categories of barriers by AHP has been done, and second, GTA has been applied for finding the barriers' intensity index. Based on this study, machine and manpower barriers have emerged as major hurdles in the high setup time of machine. The proposed framework will help organizations quantify barriers in high setup time in different manufacturing processes, thereby developing effective strategies for sustainable production.
Findings
Findings of this research will contribute to ensuring sustainable competitive advantages, but it has some limitations. Development of the permanent matrix equation for barriers of high setup time is complex and lengthy when barriers are more in number. Absolute and relative values considered while quantifying the intensity of barriers are based on experts’ opinions, which may be inconsistent. In spite of these limitations, organizations can use an illustrated approach to quantify the barriers, thereby developing strategies for successful implementation of high setup time for making them sustainable in the global market. Organizations can also benchmark their sustainability preparedness with the best in the industry. As a future scope of study, high setup time can be reduced by using SMDE technology can be further validated through an empirical and case-based approach to generalize the findings.
Research limitations/implications
Authors remain confined only to setup time. The approach is generalizable and can be extended in other areas. As a future scope of study, high setup time can be reduced by using single minute die exchange technology and can be further validated through an empirical and case-based approach to generalize the findings.
Practical implications
The study guides and facilitates researchers and practitioners in using the most appropriate techniques such as AHP and GTA for empirical studies and in developing, modifying and/or reviewing application frameworks for production. It also guides implementation experience regarding high setup time by using advanced techniques such as single point die exchange (SMDE), which can be beneficiary for both developing and developed country contexts. Industries can accelerate implementation by understanding and using most important AHP, GTA and SMDE techniques.
Originality/value
Lean manufacturing system has been identified as an approach for improving the performance of the process and product. A lean manufacturing system is part of corporate culture, like tools and approaches. High setup time can be classified as waste for the company. Reduction in time is a direct way to increase the productivity and profit. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the time by using some new lean methodology. In global industry, different techniques are used for reduction of time.
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Manjeet Kharub, Rahul S. Mor and Sudhir Rana
This paper examines the mediating role of manufacturing strategies in the relationship between competitive strategies and firm performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the mediating role of manufacturing strategies in the relationship between competitive strategies and firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study gathered 250 responses from firms in a developing country's key manufacturing sectors, including mechanical, electronics, automotive, textile and food. First, descriptive statistics were applied to fix outliers like respondent biases, missing values and normality issues. Second, exploratory factors analysis (EFA) ensured data adequacy and homogeneity through Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett tests. Finally, confirmatory factors analysis (CFA) was used to identify the interactions (direct, indirect and total effects) between latent variables representing manufacturing strategies (quality, cost, delivery and flexibility), competitive strategies (cost-leadership and differentiation) and firms' performance (sales growth and profitability). In total, two structural equation modelling (SEM) models (SEM-I, SEM-II) were created to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Of the 40 items identified by the literature review, four were outliers, and three could not satisfy the EFA criteria (eigenvalue >1). Only 33 items could therefore reach CFA. SEM–I and SEM-II study results found no direct relationship between competitive strategies and firm performance (−0.03 = β = 0.08; p > 0.05). However, the findings revealed that cost-leadership could be an appropriate strategic choice and improved firms' performance if the quality and delivery are focussed (0.20 = β = 0.87; p < 0.001). While competitive strategies impact manufacturing strategies positively, the latter is only a mediator between the cost-leadership strategy and the firms' performance.
Originality/value
This research shows that the cost-leadership approach currently seems viable; however, flexibility and cost requirements were not satisfied due to infeasible product differentiation. These results will be beneficial to executives interested in investing in India's industries.
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Sudhir Rana, Jagroop Singh and Sakshi Kathuria
The study responds to the common concerns of authors, reviewers, and editors on writing and publishing high-quality literature review (LR) studies. First, we evolved the…
Abstract
The study responds to the common concerns of authors, reviewers, and editors on writing and publishing high-quality literature review (LR) studies. First, we evolved the background and decision elements on the five parameters of a quality LR paper: Planning, Operationalizing, Writing, Embedding, and Reflecting (POWER), from the editorials and guiding literature. Statistical procedure and refinement of 256 responses from writers, reviewers, and editors revealed 37 decision elements. Finally, a multicriteria-decision-making approach was applied to the detailed responses from the lead editors of ABDC, Scopus, ABS, and WoS journals, and 31 decision elements were found strong enough to represent these five parameters on the quality of LR studies. All five parameters are found important to be considered. However, a high priority is suggested for embedding (the results coming out of the review) and operationalizing (the process of conducting the review), whereas reflection, writing, and planning of LR papers still remain important. The purpose of the POWER framework is to overcome the challenges and decision dilemmas faced by writers and decision-makers. The POWER framework acts as a guiding tool to conduct LR studies in general and business management scholars in specific ways. In addition, this study provides a checklist (Table 6) and template (Appendix A1) of a quality LR study to its stakeholders.
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Sudhir Rama Murthy, Thayla Tavares Sousa-Zomer, Tim Minshall, Chander Velu, Nikolai Kazantsev and Duncan McFarlane
Advancements in responsive manufacturing have been supporting companies over the last few decades. However, manufacturers now operate in a context of continuous uncertainty. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Advancements in responsive manufacturing have been supporting companies over the last few decades. However, manufacturers now operate in a context of continuous uncertainty. This research paper explores a mechanism where companies can “elastically” provision and deprovision their production capacity, to enable them in coping with repeated disruptions. Such a mechanism is facilitated by the imitability and substitutability of production resources.
Design/methodology/approach
An inductive study was conducted using Gioia methodology for this theory generation research. Respondents from 20 UK manufacturing companies across multiple industrial sectors reflected on their experience during COVID-19. Resource-based view and resource dependence theory were employed to analyse the manufacturers' use of internal and external production resources.
Findings
The study identifies elastic responses at four operational levels: production-line, factory, company and supply chain. Elastic responses that imposed variable-costs were particularly well-suited for coping with unforeseen disruptions. Further, the imitability and substitutability of manufacturers helped others produce alternate goods during the crisis.
Originality/value
While uniqueness of production capability helps manufacturers sustain competitive advantage against competitors during stable operations, imitability and substitutability are beneficial during a crisis. Successful manufacturing companies need to combine these two approaches to respond effectively to repeated disruptions in a context of ongoing uncertainties. The theoretical contribution is in characterising responsive manufacturing in terms of resource heterogeneity and resource homogeneity, with elastic resourcing as the underlying mechanism.