Title: The influence of the level of implementation of lean management on employees: an empirical study

Authors: Nestor Raúl Baides; José Moyano-Fuentes

Addresses: ADEN Business School, C/Rioja, 460, Mendoza, Argentina ' Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, University of Jaén, EPS Linares, C/ Alfonso X el Sabio, 28, E-23700 Linares (Jaén), Spain

Abstract: This paper analyses the impact that Lean Management practices have on employees. In order to carry out this work we moved away from the level of organisational analysis traditionally used in research on Lean Management towards one based on the employee (individual). The results reached using a case study have enabled us to create a model that shows the evolution of employee integration in the company in accordance with the degree of implementation of Lean practices. Our findings indicate that increasing the level of adoption of Lean Management means employees are more motivated and keen to participate in decision making and offer a higher number of suggestions. It has also been detected that companies with a higher degree of adoption of Lean Management are characterised by having employees who are multifunctional, better trained and more skilled. On the other hand, our results show that a higher degree of Lean Management does not necessarily mean an increase in variable incentives for employees.

Keywords: lean management; case study; teamwork; implementation level; commitment; multifunctional employees; employee integration; employee motivation; decision making; variable incentives; training; skills.

DOI: 10.1504/IJQI.2012.051263

International Journal of Quality and Innovation, 2012 Vol.2 No.1, pp.61 - 79

Published online: 29 Oct 2014 *

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