Sustainability Of Continuous Improvement Research Articles

Developing an Evidence-Based Evaluation Tool for Continuous Improvement Program of the Department of Education

The study aimed to formulate a credible evaluation tool for the Continuous Improvement (CI) Program of School-Based Management (SBM) schools in the Philippines. Participants involved 6 CI Masters and 30 program implementers of the Department of Education in SOX Region. Self-survey questionnaires and an evidence-based evaluation tool were utilized in data gathering. The research was carried out through mixed methods that essentially pooled quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicated that the developed evaluation tool demonstrated a high validity suggesting its suitability and accuracy. Generally, the CI teams viewed their programs as very well implemented along with these dimensions, namely: strategic management, operational management, change adoption, stakeholder analysis, and CI sustainability. With the use of the evidence-based tool, the researcher’s assessment showed that schools have remarkable implementation as manifested by its well-presented, organized, and functional documents across all dimensions. The statistical test concluded that the researchers’ program evaluation is quite higher than the CI teams’ perceptions. The direct observation and knowledge of the researcher on the actual evidence are more independent, accurate, and objective than the mere perceptions of the implementers themselves. Ultimately, the best practices of schools were articulated in effectively executing and sustaining the continuous improvement initiatives.

Influence of team members’ characteristics on the sustainability of continuous improvement initiatives

This article aims at examining the influence of teams’ characteristics on the sustainability of Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives. To achieve that, two identical manufacturing cells undergoing CI implementation and subordinated to the same leadership were investigated through a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. While one team has shown a sustained and increased performance, the other could not maintain improvements and worsened its performance. As the only factor distinguishing cells is team composition, we verify which team characteristics impact on CI sustainability. Results indicate that workers’ seniority in company and in team, as well as their age positively influence team behaviour regarding the sustainability of CI initiatives. Long-term sustainability of CI initiatives has been a major concern in most companies. Although previous studies have approached the subject from different and complementary perspectives, the understanding of how specific characteristics of team members may influence the sustainability of CI is still vague and imprecise.

Is implementation of continuous improvement possible? An evolutionary model of enablers and inhibitors

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to present an evolutionary model of the enablers and inhibitors affecting the implementation and sustainability of continuous improvement. With this aim, a qualitative study using the grounded theory was carried out. Interviews were conducted with managers responsible for continuous improvement in first‐tier suppliers in the automotive sector. As a result, two existing lines of research in the continuous improvement literature are synthesized: on one hand, the literature concerning the enablers and barriers associated with continuous improvement sustainability; and on the other, the literature concerning the evolutionary model. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enablers and inhibitors for sustainability of continuous improvement: A study in the automotive industry suppliers in the Valencia Region

Enablers and inhibitors for sustainability of continuous improvement: A study in the automotive industry suppliers in the Valencia Region