LEAN MANUFACTURING: A COMPARISON BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING NATIONS

摘要

Technology, policy, and management practices vary across countries. Some practices, like Lean manufacturing have diffused across countries more extensively than others (e.g. the Harada method). For instance, the diffusion of Lean manufacturing techniques has been rapid in the developed nations after its inception in Japan. In this paper, we consider the implementation of Lean manufacturing techniques in a developed nation (USA) and an emerging nation (India). We compare the diffusion processes in Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) and Large Enterprises (LE's) in each of these countries. A literature review of the existing data is carried out and is used in drawing the comparisons among these countries. After content analysis, the comparison results of diffusion in SME's and LE's between the developed and developing nation is stated and a brief insight on overcoming barriers and easier adoption of Lean manufacturing techniques has been proposed.