The adoption of continuous improvement and innovation strategies in Australian manufacturing firms

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adoption of Continuous Improvement (CI) strategies of a large random sample of Australian manufacturing firms. The study was undertaken as part of a wider international survey investigating continuous improvement practices in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK. The survey was mailed to 1200 managers responsible for manufacturing organisations in Australia. A response rate of 32 per cent was obtained. The quantitative data was analysed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data analysis revealed that the motivation to adopt CI was related to improved quality conformance, increased productivity, reduced costs, and improvement in delivery reliability. Past experiences of CI were positively correlated with the length of time the process had been in use; the breadth of its application; the percentage of employees actively involved in the program (for operators and non-operators) and training in problem solving. Therefore, the critical implication for managers is that future management development initiatives need to include strategies to assist managers with their understanding of the potential benefits of the CI process, based on “soft” management practices.