FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS OF LEAN MANUFACTURING –MODERATING ROLES OF EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT, EFFECTIVE CHANGELEADERSHIP AND BENCHMARKING

摘要

This exploratory study focuses on the factors influencing the success of lean manufacturing inorganizations, with the help of a conceptual model, with special focus on the moderating effectof employee empowerment, effective change leadership, and benchmarking on the relationshipbetween the input factors and the lean manufacturing success, in an organization. Various factorsthat hold the key towards the success of lean manufacturing in organizations have been identifiedas: practice of Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophies - namely continuousimprovement and process management, effective resource management, organizationalcommitment, human resource management practices – namely employee training and evaluation,pull production control, top management support, strategic supplier partnerships, employeeempowerment, effective change leadership, and benchmarking. It is proposed that the last threefactors in the list above, would moderate the association between the remaining factorsresponsible for the success of lean, and the lean manufacturing success. Several hypotheses havebeen proposed which may be tested in the future through a qualitative/ interpretive research or bya case study approach.