APPLICATION OF RESILIENT SYSTEMS THINKING TO SUSTAIN A LEAN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

摘要

Lean manufacturing systems have afforded organizations sizable gains in productivity, profitability, and overall performance. However, the resulting inter-industry diffusion of lean has revealed obstacles to effective lean implementation. The literature documents the unsatisfactory results of unsuccessful implementation attempts. The literature also links these unsatisfactory implementation results to suboptimal lean behaviors, poor lean leadership and culture, and continuous improvement training. In light of these challenges, this paper suggests a framework that promotes developing a resilient continuous improvement culture by applying single-loop to double-loop learning and the Theory of Accommodation. This research identifies approaches for engineering managers to avoid lean culture problems by developing a strategy to change the mentality of employees and, in turn, facilitate lean manufacturing success. We propose an implementation strategy focused on the health care industry, but expect broad applicability to any industry or environment working to sustain lean implementation.