Assessment of the management awareness of the use of LM methods and tools in the automotive industry

Abstract

Purpose: The article presents the results of a survey on the use of methods and tools of the Lean Manufacturing (LM) concept by middle management in an automotive industry company in Poland. The conducted study will allow to assess the management's awareness in terms of knowledge of LM solutions, their use in everyday work, the impact of LM tools on improving the organization of production and occupational health and safety, and involvement in improvement projects. Knowledge, commitment, and support for employees are important factors in shaping the Lean culture in the company. The middle management, who manages the work in individual departments of this company, through appropriate attitudes and behavior builds the awareness of the entire team. The article ends with conclusions that can be treated as a form of guidance for top management to take improvement actions. Design/methodology/approach: The study of employees' awareness of the use of methods and tools of the LM concept was carried out using the survey method. The research group consisted of middle management in the automotive industry company in Poland (respondents indicated by top management). To achieve the assumed goal, a four-stage research methodology was developed. In the first stage, a questionnaire was developed, which concerned three areas: OSH, LM methods and tools, and implemented management systems. For the purposes of the study and the assumed goal, one research area was taken into account, related to the use of LM methods and tools and the awareness of the middle management staff in this area. In the second stage of the research, the research sample was characterized. In the third stage, the minimum number of respondents was determined (using the PQStat tool). In the fourth stage, the results obtained were analyzed and conclusions were formulated, which may serve as guidelines for managers responsible for continuous improvement of processes in this company. Findings: The conducted research made it possible to assess the awareness of the middle management regarding the use of LM solutions in the enterprise. The assessment of awareness was a subjective assessment resulting from the analysis of each survey question. Based on the conducted research, it was found that the vast majority of middle management has knowledge and high awareness in the field of continuous improvement, in the form of using the methods and tools of the LM concept in everyday work. Employees are aware of the impact of these solutions on various areas of activity (quality, safety, organization of production), engage in improvement projects, and identify and solve problems, but also see the difficulties associated with the implementation of LM methods and tools. The knowledge and awareness of middle management translate into the attitudes and behavior of production employees, which affects the culture of continuous improvement of the company. Based on the research results, areas requiring improvement were also identified. Research limitations/implications: The conducted survey research was limited to assessing the awareness of a specific group of respondents, i.e. middle management. The direction of further research should focus on assessing the awareness of production employees to obtain more complete information related to shaping the Lean culture in this company. Practical implications: The conducted research may provide important information for the management staff on the awareness of middle management in the application of solutions of the LM concept in this company. The research results also allow to identify areas requiring improvement actions. Social implications: The article discusses issues related to the awareness and involvement of employees that shape the culture of continuous improvement in organizations. Originality/value: The analysis of the literature for the years 2018-2023 showed that there is a research gap regarding the assessment of awareness of the LM concept among employees of automotive companies. Therefore, the article refers to the study of the awareness of middle management in the use of LM methods and tools in the automotive industry - in a large company in Poland. Keywords: management awareness, Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, Toyota culture, Lean culture. Category of the paper: research paper, case study.