Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to discover the learning mechanisms and temporal dynamics of implementing systems (Six Sigma) as it unfolds over time.Design/methodology/approachThe data come from a European engineering company that was implementing a Six Sigma-based quality management system (QMS) over a seven-year period. The analysis is based on an event-sequence reconstruction of the implementation process as it unfolded over time and discovers four different learning mechanisms that emerged: programmatic, persistent, adaptive and dialectical learning mechanisms. The research follows a process design study, where the authors study how the process unfolds over time.FindingsMuch of the literature on implementing management systems suggests that implementation follows a prescribed sequence of “turn-key” steps. However, the findings show that only 40% of all events were driven by prescribed “turn-key” generic practices, while 56% of events required constructing new practices via adaptive and dialectical learning. Moreover, the implementation process did not proceed in a linear programmatic fashion, but instead followed a punctuated equilibrium pattern, which alternated between periods of incremental change and major organizational change. The study also found that implementation required changing many complementary organizational structures and practices that were interdependent with the management system (i.e. Six Sigma). By understanding the implementation process, managers can better assess the time and effort involved, better adapt the system to their situated context and predict critical junctures where implementation could break down.Originality/valueThis research complements the few studies that have examined the process of implementing management systems. Most studies examine factors or conditions that result in implementation success (the what of implementing systems), but few examine the process of implementation and the learning that takes place during implementation (the how of implementing systems), which is a complex nonlinear process that involves different modes of learning.
Highlights
To what extent does implementing a management system involve installing “turn-key” prescriptions from best practices, and to what extent is it a trial-and-error process that involves adapting the system and the organization? Operations managers face the challenge of implementing various systems such as Six Sigma (Shafer and Moeller, 2012; Swink and Jacobs, 2012), Lean (Netland et al, 2015) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) (Tenhi€al€a and Helki€o, 2015), to name a few
Research methods Because our study examines a process question about how quality management system (QMS) implementation unfolds over time, we adopt a longitudinal process study research design (Langley et al, 2013)
In retrospect of our findings and the dynamics that appeared from our reconstruction presented above we propose that the process of QMS implementation follows the pattern of a punctuated equilibrium, with alternating periods of incremental adaptation and periods of transformational changes
Summary
Operations managers face the challenge of implementing various systems such as Six Sigma (Shafer and Moeller, 2012; Swink and Jacobs, 2012), Lean (Netland et al, 2015) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) (Tenhi€al€a and Helki€o, 2015), to name a few These systems hold the promise of improving performance by creating fundamental changes to the organization, but can lead to implementation failure, which undermines the benefits. Organizations typically rely on roadmaps or templates that consist of codified best practices (e.g. Baldrige Award criteria), captured lessons learned from leading organizations (e.g. General Electric’s implementation of Six Sigma) or procedural steps and guidelines from vendors and consultants These roadmaps may give the impression that implementing a management system is a straightforward process of adopting the best-practice prescriptions (Lameijer et al, 2017). Scholars have not studied how the implementation and adaption process occurs (Ivanova et al, 2014)
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