Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of the study is to develop knowledge on the implementation of Hoshin Kanri (HK) in small manufacturing companies. Two research questions are addressed: (1) what factors influence the implementation of HK in small manufacturing companies? (2) How do the factors influence the implementation of HK in small manufacturing companies?Design/methodology/approachThe research presented in this paper is based on an extensive literature review and data from the implementation process in five small manufacturing companies. In the literature review, factors influencing the implementation of HK, lean production and total quality management (TQM) in small manufacturing firms are identified. Thereafter, five implementation cases are analyzed. Findings from the cases are then contrasted with the factors identified in the literature and further theorized.FindingsSeven factors were found to either enable or hamper HK implementation in small manufacturing companies. Management involvement was identified as a critical factor. Management involvement can be typologized as collaborative or demanding, and the types of involvement is decisive in implementation processes within the small manufacturing company context.Originality/valueIn this paper, the authors focus on small manufacturing companies as the starting point and relate theoretical and practical results to the implementation processes in this defined target group. Conceptualizing implementation as a learning process, this research contributes to this emerging perspective on small firm development.
Highlights
Small manufacturing firms with 10–50 employees are pivotal in the world economy (Johnson et al, 2001) [1]
The first research question addresses the current knowledge frontier on the implementation process in small manufacturing firms with a systematic literature review
The second research question focuses on how the factors identified in the literature review affect the implementation process in small manufacturing firms
Summary
Small manufacturing firms with 10–50 employees are pivotal in the world economy (Johnson et al, 2001) [1]. In Europe alone, there are approximately 250,000 small manufacturing firms (European Commission, 2020), which are crucial for the entire. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management Vol 32 No 9, 2021 pp. © Malin L€ofving, Anders Melander, Fredrik Elgh and David Andersson. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ legalcode
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