scholarly journals Systematic analysis of the methodological structure of the lean literature

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Francis ◽  
Andrew Thomas ◽  
Ron Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Research Strategy ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Spread Sheet ◽  
Highly Cited

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse and evaluate the methodological structure of the lean literature, so that its characteristics and influence among academics and practitioners might be better understood. The authors define “methodological structure” to be comprising six categorical components: publication category, degree of methodological disclosure, research strategies and data collection instruments (DCIs), type of data collected and analysed and type of research informants. Design/methodology/approach This study is a systematic bibliometric analysis of the lean literature. It has a two-stage research design. The first stage involves the identification of the top 50 most highly cited publications on “Lean”, with the resultant reference details being entered into a focal population set (FPS) spread sheet. The second stage involves coding and adding the six component fields of the methodological structure for each of the FPS entries. Both citation analysis (CA) and publication counting are then used to analyse patterns in these six components of methodological structure. Findings The top 50 publications in the FPS represent over 52,700 citations. All are either journal papers or books, but books are the most influential. Based upon this FPS sample, the lean literature is found to be both largely atheoretical in nature and also methodologically weak. Over half of the FPS publications are viewpoint-type publications and 46% have no methodological disclosure. The lean literature is predominantly qualitative in nature. Where disclosed, the most common research strategy is the case study and the most common DCI is the interview. High- and mid-level managers are the most frequently encountered research informants, while shop floor workers are infrequently used. Originality/value This paper starts with the most extensive known systematic review of systematic reviews of the lean literature; the result of which is the characterisation of a number of gaps in this body of knowledge. One of these gaps is the lack of any previous CA. The paper then proceeds to address this gap by providing the first CA within the lean literature. This is also the most comprehensive known CA within the field of operations and supply chain management more generally. As a consequence of this analysis, previously unknown patterns and insights into the methodological structure of the lean literature are revealed.

Contradictions in qualitative management research

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-64
Author(s):  
Per Richard Hansen ◽  
Jens Dorland
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Realities ◽  
Interview Situation ◽  
Analytical Work ◽  
Management Work

Purpose – Contradictory accounts in empirical material are often perceived as deliberate “lies” or “misleading deceptions” performed in acts of impression management, or they are simply neglected. When observed in the material collected empirically, methods have been developed in order to identify and remove them from the analytical work. The purpose of this paper is to re-visit and re-introduce a dissensus-based management research strategy in order to analytically be able to work with what appear to be contradictions and misinformation in qualitative research accounts, and give them a more profound role in the understanding of management ideas, work and practices. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review is presented on consensus and dissensus orientated theories on contradictions and multiple and conflicting identities in a single individual in an ethnographic inquiry. The purpose is to analyse and reflect upon the contradictory information gathered, and how it can shed light upon important aspects of the management work and practices performed by the informant. This is done by focusing on apparent contradictions in a single interview situation from an ethnographic case study through, respectively a consensus and a dissensus perspective. Findings – The findings indicate that dealing with contradictions and inner conflicts between self-view and external demands and conditions, led the informant to the production of multiple narrative self-identities imaging multiple realities that all appeared real to the informant. Each of these realities had different and contradictory impacts on the ideas and management work and practices he presented and performed in the organisation. These findings challenge the notions of “lies”, “deception” and “misinformation” in management research, and call for a more reflexive approach to analysis work in ethnographic accounts. Originality/value – By applying consensus and dissensus-oriented theories to a single account the authors point to conditions, phenomena and relations, which most current and historic management research streams fail to see. Multiple and conflicting identities surface in a single respondent during an interview situation, creating clearly self-contradictory and conflicting narratives and practices, that all appear to be oblivious to the respondent. These multiple and contradictory narrative identities all have significant impact on the management work performed by the respondent.

Experiential quality, experiential relationship quality and future experiential intentions in the Macau gaming industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Che Wu ◽  
Chi-Han Ai ◽  
Ya-Yuan Chang ◽  
De-Quan Wang ◽  
Tsung-Pao Wu
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gaming Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Experiential Quality ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use the Macau gaming industry as a case study to discuss the multifaceted relationships involving experiential quality, experiential relationship quality and future experiential intentions. Design/methodology/approach In this study, 566 usable responses were collected from casino gamblers who had gaming experience in one casino of Macau. Findings According to the study results, the dimensions of experiential quality (hedonics, involvement, surprise, fun, gambler contact and physical environment) had a positive effect on experiential satisfaction, which in turn led to experiential trust. Both experiential trust and experiential satisfaction positively influenced experiential commitment. Moreover, experiential trust, experiential satisfaction and experiential commitment positively affected future experiential intentions. Originality/value The main contribution of this research is that it has added to the body of knowledge about the interplay between the dimensions of experiential quality, the dimension of experiential relationship quality and future experiential intentions, which can be fruitful for the gaming industry.

Shop floor management system in the context of smart manufacturing: a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diamantino Torres ◽  
Carina Pimentel ◽  
Susana Duarte
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Security ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Security Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Smart Technologies ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies

Purpose The purpose of this study intends to make a characterization of a shop floor management (SFM) system in the context of smart manufacturing, through smart technologies and digital shop floor (DSF) features. Design/methodology/approach To attain the paper objective, a mixed method methodology was used. In the first stage, a theoretical background was carried out, to provide a comprehensive understanding on SFM system in a smart manufacturing perspective. Next, a case study within a survey was developed. The case study was introduced to characterize a SFM system, while the survey was made to understand the level of influence of smart manufacturing technologies and of DSF features on SFM. In total, 17 experts responded to the survey. Findings Data analytics is the smart manufacturing technology that influences more the SFM system and its components and the cyber security technology does not influence it at all. The problem solving (PS) is the SFM component more influenced by the smart manufacturing technologies. Also, the use of real-time digital visualization tools is considered the most influential DSF feature for the SFM components and the data security protocols is the least influential one. The four SFM components more influenced by the DSF features are key performance indicator tracking, PS, work standardization and continuous improvement. Research limitations/implications The study was applied in one multinational company from the automotive sector. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is one of the first to try to characterize the SFM system on smart manufacturing considering smart technologies and DSF features.

The managerial issues related to transferring shop floor knowledge in manufacturing relocation

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1389-1416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Praest Knudsen ◽  
Erik Skov Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Shop Floor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Facility ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
International Production ◽  
Time Gap ◽  
Manufacturing Facilities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the specific practices of management in the dispatching unit and to identify mechanisms for supporting transfer of shop floor knowledge embedded in operating manufacturing equipment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies an inductive and a case study approach for exploring three empirical cases that represent different manufacturing facility relocation processes and differences in the applied managerial practices. Findings – The paper identifies two important gaps in international production literature when firms relocate equipment to other sites; a time gap (from dismantling to re-assembly of production facilities) and a space gap (from the current to the new site abroad). These gaps are important for understanding why relocation processes are difficult and what management can do to facilitate such processes. Practical implications – The paper identifies four issues that management faces in the dispatching context when relocating manufacturing facilities. Originality/value – The paper gives new insights to a limited literature of shop floor knowledge transfer when relocating manufacturing facilities.

An application of 5S concept to organize the workplace at a scientific instruments manufacturing company

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaman Gupta ◽  
Sanjiv Kumar Jain
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audit Score ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Cause And Effect Diagram ◽  
Collection Methods

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use the 5S tool to assist a small-scale manufacturing organization to become more productive and more efficient. Design/methodology/approach – A simple approach has been adopted to create the teams for implementing 5S. Cause-and-effect diagram has been studied for shop floor analysis. Later, four data collection methods have been used to ensure right implementation of the 5S. Findings – In the frames of this case study, it has been analyzed that implementation of “5S” resulted in overall improvement of the organization. With the implementation of “5S”, major benefits in the form of tool searching time have been achieved. Tool searching time from shop floor has been reduced from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. “5S” audit has been conducted in the organization. “5S” audit score has been increased from 7 (Week 1) to 55 (Week 20). Practical implications – 5S is a powerful tool and can be implemented in various industries whether micro, small, medium or large. Implementation of 5S has large horizontal development and can be implemented in all the workstations of an organization. Originality/value – The publications and case study presented in this paper will be useful to researchers, professionals and others concerned with this subject to understand the significance of 5S.

Classification and relationships between risks that affect lean production implementation

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Almeida Marodin ◽  
Tarcísio Abreu Saurin
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Management Support ◽  
The South ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
South Of Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to classify the risks that affect the lean production implementation (LPI) process, and to demonstrate how that classification can help to identify the relationships between the risks. Design/methodology/approach – Initially, a survey was conducted to identify the probability and impact of 14 risks in LPI, which had been identified based on a literature review. The sample comprised 57 respondents, from companies in the south of Brazil. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to analyze the results of the survey, allowing the identification of three groups of risks in LPI. Then, a case study was conducted in one of the companies represented in the survey, in order to identify examples of relationships between the risks. Multiple sources of evidence were used in the case study, such as interviews, observations and documents analysis. Findings – The risks that affect LPI were grouped into three categories: management of the process of LPI, top and middle management support and shop floor involvement. A number of examples of relationships between the risks were identified. Research limitations/implications – The survey was limited to companies from the south of Brazil and therefore its results cannot be completelly generalized to other companies. Moreover, the results of the survey were not subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis. Originality/value – This study helps to improve the understanding of LPI, as: it re-interprets the factors, barriers and difficulties for LPI from the perspective of risk management, which had not been used for that purpose so far; it presents a classification of the risks that affect LPI, which can support the understanding of the relationships between the risks and, as a result, it can support the development of more effective methods for LPI.

Dynamic capabilities, organizational learning and ambidexterity in a higher education institution

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Patricia da Silva Souza ◽  
Adriana Roseli Wünsch Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to analyse how dynamic capabilities (DC) affect organizational learning (OL) in a Brazilian higher education institution (HEI) and how this relationship affects organisational ambidexterity (OA). Design/methodology/approach The research strategy involves a qualitative, single case study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, documentary research over a 15-year period and nonparticipant observation. Data were analysed using narrative analysis. Findings The results show that founders and managers influence the activities related to sensing, seizing and reconfiguring DC. They interpreted the new opportunities and shared them with other individuals. Gradually, a collective sense about the new ideas was constructed. New academic and administrative routines were created and an OL process took place at the HEI, which resulted in a valuable balance between exploration and exploitation (OA) for the organisation. Originality/value The study offers insight into how DC, OL and OA can be related. Although each construct has its own independent definition, there are similarities between them. The case study demonstrates how these theories were affected, and the research, therefore, makes a new methodological contribution regarding how to study DC, OL and OA as an integrative phenomenon.

Barriers to implementing waste-to-energy projects in Sri Lanka: a PESTEL analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Binashi Kumarasiri ◽  
Piumi Dissanayake
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Under Construction

PurposeIt is no surprise that garbage is not garbage for some. It is money. This is why garbage has been overestimated to a point that money allocated for waste-to-energy (WtE) projects feed individual pockets. Many countries have already adapted WtE as a successful solution for both energy and waste crisis. Although in Sri Lanka six WtE projects were promised, the government abruptly decided that it would not have any more projects other than the two plants that were under construction. The purpose of this paper is to analyse barriers to the implementation of WtE projects in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study was selected as the research strategy to achieve the research aim. In total, two WtE megaprojects, which have been initiated implementation in Sri Lanka, were used as cases. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews with four personnel from each case and four government officials were used as the data collection technique. Data analysis was carried out using code-based content analysis. The barriers were extracted through analysis of case findings using an abductive analysis. The strategies to mitigate identified barriers were formulated based on attributes highlighted through case study findings and further validated through the opinions of three experts.FindingsBarriers were analysed using the PESTEL framework to get ample insight into barriers that impact on the implementation of WtE projects in Sri Lanka. Less support from the government due to their less awareness on WtE, high investment and operational cost, lack of expert knowledge on WtE technologies in Sri Lanka, absence of a proper regulatory framework for implementation WtE technologies, lengthy process and delay in getting approvals from government process, poor attitudes of public and their protests due to the less awareness on WtE are the foremost barriers identified in this study. Further, strategies were proposed based on the empirical research findings to overcome barriers to facilitate the successful implementation of WtE projects in Sri Lanka.Research limitations/implicationsSo far only two WtE megaprojects have been initiated the implementation in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the scope of the study was limited only to those projects. Moreover, the type of waste considered in this study is municipal solid waste (MSW), which has become a bigger problem in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueThe current study unveils an analysis of barriers for implementation of WtE projects in Sri Lanka, including strategies for mitigating identified barriers. The findings would enable relevant stakeholders, i.e. policymakers, industry practitioners, investors, government bodies and researchers to make informed decisions on implementation of WtE projects and thereby promote successful implementation of WtE projects in Sri Lanka.

Short-distance corporate relocation: the employee experience

Facilities ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 38-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggie Rothe ◽  
Anna-Liisa Sarasoja ◽  
Christopher Heywood
Keyword(s):  
Short Distance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Workplace Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Qualitative Nature ◽  
Employee Experience

Purpose – This paper aims to examine short-distance firm relocations, the most frequent form of relocation, to better understand how employees as individuals experience those relocations. Design/methodology/approach – This study was a multiple-case study with five organisations that had relocated within the same metropolitan area during the previous 18 months. To understand why and how the relocation was carried out, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with company representatives who were actively involved in making decisions and executing the relocation of their organisation. Subsequently, to study the employees’ experience and perception of the process, 17 employees who did not have an assigned role in the process were also interviewed. Findings – The findings show that even within the same organization, people experience relocation differently; therefore, the employees should not be treated as one object of change but as several individuals who experience change. Further, it was identified that relocation included both location and workplace change aspects. Research limitations/implications – The study is of qualitative nature and, therefore, the findings should not be generalized to individuals outside of the context of study. Instead, the value lies in the description and the themes developed in the specific context. The findings show that emphasis needs to be put on how the relocation process is managed, and that relocation change management efforts should include both location and workplace changes. Originality/value – This study provides new insight on how individual employees experience the relocation process and augments the previous body of knowledge on employee experiences and satisfaction with various elements in the work environment and/or with new ways of working, and the previous studies on relocation that focus on comparing employees’ experiences of the old office with the new one.

IoT-based production logistics and supply chain system – Part 2

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengru Tu ◽  
Ming K. Lim ◽  
Ming-Fang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Architecture Framework

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: to present internet of things (IoT)-based cyber-physical system (CPS) architecture framework to facilitate the integration of IoT and CPS; to implement an IoT-based CPS prototype based on the architecture framework for a PL application scenario of in a case study; and to devise evaluation methods and conduct experimental evaluations on an IoT-based CPS prototype. Design/methodology/approach The design research method, case study, emulation experiment method, and cost-benefit analysis are applied in this research. An IoT-based CPS architecture framework is proposed, and followed by the development of prototype system and testbed platform. Then, the emulation and experimental evaluation of IoT-based CPS are conducted on the testbed, and the experimental results are analyzed. Findings The emulation experiment results show that the proposed IoT-based CPS outperforms current barcode-based system regarding labor cost, efficiency, and operational adaptiveness. The evaluation of the IoT-based CPS prototype indicates significant improvements in PL tasks and reduced part inventory under a dynamic changing shop-floor environment. Practical implications The case study shows that the proposed architecture framework and prototype system can be applied to many discrete manufacturing industries, such as automobile, airplane, bicycle, home appliance, and electronics. Originality/value The proposed IoT-based CPS is among the first to address the need to integrate IoT and CPS for PL applications, and to conduct experimental evaluations and cost-benefit analysis of adopting IoT-based CPS for PL. This paper also contributes to the IoT research by using diverse research methods to offer broader insights into understanding IoT and CPS.

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