Title: Towards an understanding of continuous improvement in manufacturing industry in Ireland

Authors: Paul Coughlan, Mary Keating, Marian Bergin

Addresses: School of Business Studies, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. School of Business Studies, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. School of Business Studies, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Abstract: Continuous improvement has been adopted in firms throughout the world. The extent of adoption in Ireland is unknown, although there is anecdotal evidence of recent initiatives and impressive achievements in subsidiaries of multi-national enterprises. In this paper, we will explore some of the issues facing manufacturing firms in Ireland as they attempt to engage in initiatives to improve the practice and performance of their activities on a continuous basis. This exploration will be with a view to informing the design of a detailed study of continuous improvement (CI) activities and achievements in Ireland as part of a Eureka Project.

Keywords: continuous improvement; small and medium sized enterprises; SMEs; Ireland.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1997.001707

International Journal of Technology Management, 1997 Vol.14 No.1, pp.139-145

Published online: 17 Aug 2003 *

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