Enablers for green lean six sigma adoption in the manufacturing industry

Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this article is to identify the relationships between the enablers in the implementation of Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) in the Mexican manufacturing industry (MMI).Design/methodology/approachTo create the survey instrument, the authors did an extensive literature research, which they then applied in the MMI to find the relationships between enablers and their impact on the positive effects of implementing GLSS projects. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), the data were empirically and statistically corroborated. Furthermore, the authors validated the hypotheses that support the research using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach in SPSS Amos.FindingsThe findings reveal that leadership has a positive impact on social and economic benefits (EcB), as well as an indirect impact on the environmental benefits (EB) of GLSS projects, with organizational involvement (OI) and performance measurement (PM) functioning as mediators.Practical implicationsThis study represents an empirical reference for practitioners and researchers pursuing high-quality, low-cost, environmentally and socially sustainable products or processes through the implementation of GLSS projects in the manufacturing industry.Originality/valueThis study provides a statistically validated model using the SEM technique to represent the relationships between GLSS enablers in the MMI.