muhammad asif and kodo yokozawa school of management ... · 2/5/2011 · companies are designed to...
TRANSCRIPT
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Abstract Number: 020-0692
Kaizen Implementation – Stages and Determinants
Muhammad Asif and Kodo Yokozawa
School of Management & Governance, University of Twente
P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands
E: [email protected]; T: +31 (0)53 489 45 26
POMS 22nd
Annual Conference
Reno, Nevada, U.S.A.
April 29 to May 2, 2011
mailto:[email protected]
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Kaizen Implementation – Stages and Determinants
Abstract
Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is an essential component of the Japanese management
system for quality and productivity improvement. Despite the several benefits from kaizen,
literature shows difficulties, in particular, in its implementation in companies outside Japan. This
research investigates the factors that are critical to kaizen success and how they influence kaizen
implementation. This research employs case research based on 15 Japanese manufacturers
operating in the Netherlands. Findings show that kaizen implementation is a simultaneous
function of both the „management commitment‟ and „kaizen approach‟. The combinations of
these two factors can be represented by a 2 x 2 matrix – four quadrants showing distinct stages of
kaizen implementation. The paper develops testable propositions that highlight the main
determinants of kaizen success and the need of different strategies during transition from one
kaizen stage to another.
1. Introduction
Kaizen, the synonym for continuous improvement, is an essential component of Japanese
management system. Kaizen programs have long been employed with great success in Japanese
companies. Imai (1986a) called Kaizen the key to Japanese competitive success. The benefits
from kaizen implementation are numerous and are reported along both social and technical
dimensions of organisation and include cost reduction, productivity improvement, reduction in
defects, and improvement in employees‟ morale and motivation (Bessant, 2003).
Despite the several benefits obtainable from kaizen, difficulties in the implementation of
kaizen are also widely reported in literature. See, for example, Bessant (2003), Brunet (2003),
and Imai (1986a). Further, due to their origin in Japanese organisations, and their embeddedness
in Japanese context, applicability of kaizen to countries with different cultures and different
management styles still remains to be understood. This problem is further highlighted in the
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context of internationalisation of Japanese companies and the increasing popularity of kaizen. As
more and more companies implement kaizen, need arises for better understanding of kaizen
process and the factors that are critical to kaizen implementation. A better understanding of
kaizen implementation and the factors that influence its implementation could help to better
manage the kaizen implementation and reduce the likelihood of kaizen implementation failures.
Accordingly the aim of this research is „to investigate the factors that are critical to kaizen
success and how they influence kaizen implementation‟.
This research was carried out in the companies of Japanese origin located in the
Netherlands. They are headquartered in Japan and employ kaizen either on their own or upon
directions of their headquarters. Kaizen concepts are, thus, well understood in these companies.
This paper contributes to theory and practice in following ways: it explores the factors which are
critical to the kaizen implementation and, thus, must be considered during kaizen
implementation. And, in so doing, the dynamic process of how these factors influence kaizen
implementation is discussed and the various stages of kaizen implementation which companies
may go through, during kaizen implementation, are also discussed. The process of moving
among various stages of kaizen is discussed through examples. Testable propositions are
developed. The rest of the paper is structured as follows: The next section provides an overview
of literature on the factors influencing kaizen implementation. Research design including
sampling, research methodology, and the data collection are discussed followed by the data
analysis. Research findings are then presented leading to propositions development.
2. Literature review
A number of authors have discussed kaizen from the perspective of kaizen methods and tools.
Imai (1986a), for example, discussed about methods and tools – such as suggestion systems, total
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quality control, QC circles, autonomation, total productive maintenance, kanban, suggestion
systems, JIT, and Robotics – noting that kaizen is a philosophy that encompasses those methods.
Fujimoto (1999) indicated that kaizen activities in Toyota production system emphasise
revealing production problems on the spot, quick problem solving at all levels of the company,
standardisation of problem-solving tools, quick experimentation and implementation, and a
knowledge base constituted of both tacit and explicit knowledge.
Liker (2004) emphasized on individual skills development as an essential element of kaizen
stating that kaizen is a process of enhancing the individual skills such as working effectively
with teams, solving problems, documenting and improving processes, collecting and analysing
data, and self managing with in a peer group. Boer et al. (2000) defined kaizen as “planned,
organized, and systematic process of ongoing, incremental and company-wide change of existing
work practices aimed at improving company performance” (p. 1). This conceptualisation
characterises kaizen as planned and systematic initiatives and thus distinguishes kaizen form ad
hoc performance improvement methods. Brunet and New (2003) noted that kaizen is: 1)
continuous, 2) incremental, and 3) participative in nature.
The common elements in various definitions of kaizen are improvement methods and tools
and skilled employees who regularly use these methods for continuous improvement in a
systematic manner. To summarise, the literature defines kaizen in terms of skills development of
employees‟ who use kaizen methods and tools on a continual basis in a systematic manner (cf. ad
hoc use of kaizen).
2.1 Factors influencing kaizen implementation
The success of Toyota is often attributed to its unique Toyota production system (TPS). TPS
accords a great emphasis to kaizen as the central element of this production system (Fujimoto,
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1999; Womack et al., 1990). Despite several benefits from kaizen implementation, failures in the
implementation of kaizen are also reported in non-Japanese companies. Putti and Chong (1985),
for example, noted that Japanese companies in Singapore were least successful in the practices
which are implemented in their mother companies in Japan. Fukuda et al. (1989) also mentioned
of failures in the implementation of Japanese management systems (that encompasses kaizen) in
non-Japanese companies. Some authors have attributed these difficulties to the context
specificity of kaizen which means that due to its origin in Japanese organisations kaizen is
difficult to replicate elsewhere (Recht and Wilderom, 1998; Smeds et al., 2001). Kono (1982),
however, noted that Japanese management system has its roots in Japanese culture but many of
its elements are the result of rational judgement and were transferred to Japan from U.S and
other countries. It is, therefore, not correct that these practices are too indigenous to Japan and it
is possible to transfer these practices to other countries.
Many authors indicate that managerial commitment is one of the key factors that influence
the successful kaizen implementation (Bessant, 2003; Boer et al., 2000; Imai, 1986a). This is
because management commitment determines the allocation of resources – in particular,
considerable investment in human and financial, informational, and technological resources – for
kaizen activities. Top management acts as a driver of kaizen implementation, creating values,
goals and systems to develop kaizen culture.
Use of methods and tools is also discussed in the literature to enhance the diffusion of kaizen
more widely across the organisation (Bessant, 2003; Bessant et al., 1994; Boer et al., 2000; Imai,
1986b). Common tools that are used in kaizen programs are Pareto analysis, check sheets, and
cause-and-effect diagrams, while brainstorming remains a robust and extensively used problem
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solving aid (Bessant et al., 1994). The use of methods and tools is, thus, reported as a facilitator
of kaizen implementation.
The role of culture in kaizen implementation is discussed by a number of authors. Recht and
Wilderom (1998), for instance, emphasised the role of culture and found that successful transfer
of kaizen oriented suggestion system is possible in non-Japanese companies through a number of
changes that impact organisational culture. Flynn and Saladin (2006) and Power et al. (2010)
mentioned of general cultural dimensions that may influence a process management program.
The underlying message of the research of Flynn and Saladin (2006), Power et al. (2010), and
Recht and Wilderom (1998), is that cultural differences play an important role in the success or
failure of overseas kaizen implementation. Marksberry et al. (2010) found that most imitate
Toyota Production Systems fail because they are implemented as piecemeal with little
understanding of organisational culture that is required to keep them alive.
The role of organisational structures is noted by a number of authors as critical to kaizen
implementation. Parry and Song (1993) highlighted the unique nature of centralisation and
formalisation in Japanese organisations. They noted that decision making authority in Japanese
organisations is widely diffused rather than mere top-bottom or bottom-up. Regarding job
description Japanese companies have ambiguous jobs which are roughly defined and employees
are expected to present ideas for improvement (Kono, 1982). This is in sharp contrast to the job
description patterns in many western companies where job descriptions are defined and are more
structured. Group decisions and teamwork combined with the ambiguous job descriptions allows
employees socialisation. The overall structure of Japanese companies is a mix of organic and
mechanistic structure (Adler, 1999; Liker and Morgan, 2006). Mechanistic structured
organisations have high level of standardisation, formalisation, specialisation, and hierarchical
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authority. Organic structured organisations, on the other hand, have low levels of standardisation,
formalisation, specialisation, and hierarchical authority (Burns and Stalker, 1961; Courtright et
al., 1989). Adler (1999) introduced the concept of enabling-bureaucracy to discuss how Japanese
companies leverage this mixture of organic and mechanistic structure for competitive advantage.
This means that Japanese organisations develop mechanistic structures, such as standardisation,
to reduce variation in processes; but they are based on the organic structures such as teamwork
and employee participation. At the core of the enabling-bureaucracy lies employees‟
involvement and empowerment, using rules and procedures as enabling tools, and hierarchical
structures to support the work of the doer rather than to bolster the authority of the higher ups.
This is explained by Adler and Borys (1996) as:
“The standardised work process brings workers and supervisors together to define cooperatively and to
document in great detail the most effective work methods and task allocations… Strong formal and
informal incentives encourage workers to identify and propose improvements in methods. Deviations from
the detailed, prescribed methods signal either the need for further worker training or the need to revise
the inadequate standardised work methods. In this context, the TQM dictum “you can't improve a process
that hasn't been standardised" becomes a philosophy of collaborative learning…” (p. 72)
The role of communication and mode of knowledge sharing is discussed by Nonaka (1994)
and Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) who noted that socialisation is the dominant mode of
knowledge transfer in Japanese companies. „Socialisation‟ is the process of sharing experiences
and thereby conveying tacit knowledge from one person to another. Thus a more experienced
person shares the mental models and technical skills with others. „Socialisation‟ counts more on
the tacit knowledge of employees rather than explicit knowledge. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995)
further noted that Western managers are more likely to underutilize the value of tacit knowledge
as compared to their Japanese counterparts. The communication structures in Japanese
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companies are designed to provide both horizontal and vertical communication (Kono, 1982).
The problems and suggestions for improvements arise from the shop floor level and then are
directed to top-management for organisation-wide improvements.
A number of authors have highlighted the social factors that contribute to the success of
kaizen. These factors include life time employment in Japanese organisations, teamwork, trust
based business management, strong networking, and supplier development, low labour turnover
rate (Beechler and Yang, 1994; Choy and Jain, 1987; Kenney and Florida, 1993), experience and
awareness about kaizen (Bessant, 2003), consistency in the use of kaizen methods (Bessant,
2003) and strategic kaizen framework (Bessant et al., 1994; Boer et al., 2000).
The above mentioned literature helps to understand the factors that can influence kaizen
implementation. However, further research is warranted due to two primary reasons: First –
keeping in mind the Imai‟s (1986a) definition of kaizen as a set of practices – previous research
does not elaborate on the process of kaizen implementation from the perspective of „the extent of
kaizen-methods application‟. Second, research needs to elaborate on kaizen implementation in
companies outside Japan, working in a different culture. This is because kaizen practices
originated in Japan and is embedded in Japanese people‟s habits – “(kaizen is) so deeply
ingrained in the minds of both managers and workers that they often do not even realise that
they are thinking kaizen” (Imai, 1986a, p. xxix). Accordingly, the aim of this research is to
explore the factors that are critical to kaizen success, and how such factors unfold in practice
during kaizen implementation. The main research question posed in this research is „what are the
main determinants of kaizen implementation; and how these determinants influence kaizen
implementation.
3. Research design
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3.1 Sampling
The purpose of this research was to understand the main determinants of kaizen success. Since
kaizen has its root in Japanese companies, it is well understood in many Japanese companies and
is implemented on a high priority basis. We selected Japanese companies operating in the
Netherlands. The latter is the biggest recipient of Japanese foreign direct investment (JETRO,
2006) and is a home to a large number of Japanese companies which are either working actively
or have worked with kaizen implementation. This research is a part of a larger research on the
transfer of kaizen to Japanese subsidiaries in the Netherlands. Data regarding Japanese
companies working in the Netherlands was obtained from the websites of Netherlands Foreign
Investment Agency (NFIA) and Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO). The two lists
were combined and this gave rise to total 52 Japanese companies working in the Netherlands. All
the companies were contacted for participation in research. This research is based on the data
collected from 15 companies who agreed to participate in research.
3.2 Data collection
This is an exploratory research meant for exploring the process of kaizen implementation. We
used case research because case research provides deeper insights into research subjects. Further
it provides data through multiple sources of evidence so that findings can be drawn after
triangulation, thus, giving confidence in the findings. The main source of data was in-depth
interviews of managers and operators (mainly at the shop floor). Other sources of evidence
included consulting companies‟ internal documents, onsite observations, group discussion with
managers and operators. Extensive post-data-collection group discussions with managers were
also held in workshops conducted within companies. Throughout this research the mode of
communication, including interviews, was English. According to European Commission (2006)
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Dutch have highest proficiency in English in the European Union countries and 87% of Dutch
people can speak English well enough to have conversation with a native speaker.
3.3 Kaizen-implementation measurement operationalisation
The main source of data was semi-structured interviews of managers and operators. We took a
number of measures to determine the extent of kaizen implementation. For example, first,
interviewees were asked about basics of kaizen (such as what they know about kaizen; and how
they define kaizen). Second, they were provided with written kaizen definition to read. Based on
this definition, a number of structured questions on the extent of kaizen implementation were
asked and respondents were asked to express in percentage how much that situation applied to
their company. The examples of such questions included: … Third, we asked questions
regarding scenario development – what employees would do in a particular scenario. The
scenario building focused particularly on determining employees‟ pro-activeness. One example
of such scenario building is … This is in accordance with the (Brunet and New, 2003) who found
employees‟ pro-activeness and self-initiative as the proxy of kaizen. Finally, we counted on our
observations for the extent of kaizen implementation within organisational setting. These
observations were made during formal factory tour and brief conversation with operators. In so
doing, we were able to observe the application of a range of kaizen methods – such as kaizen
posters, visual management, team work and small group activities, 5S, 5 why, Ishikawa diagram,
etc. During data analysis we focused on whether our observations are aligned or not with the
responses of interviewees.
4. Data analysis
4.1 Data analysis approach
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The first step was within-case analysis. For each case, data from interviews and other supporting
materials was analysed after triangulation. The purpose of triangulation was to analyse evidences
for a given point of inquiry. The triangulation of different types of evidences for a single point of
inquiry provided confidence in the findings. Further, we conducted cross-case analysis – the
analysis of all the cases and then comparison of emerging findings across cases. Based on the
cross-case analysis, important insights were obtained regarding kaizen implementation in the
various companies. Two factors which emerged as most critical to kaizen implementation are
„management commitment‟ and „kaizen approach‟. Data analysis revealed that interplay of
various levels of these two factors gave rise to different stages of kaizen-implementation.
The first construct, i.e., management commitment, turned out as an important determinant of
kaizen implementation because it was needed to allocate organisational resources and channelize
organisational efforts to systematically implement kaizen. Since this research was carried out in
Japanese subsidiaries in the Netherlands, many companies employed a mix of management team
from Japan and the Netherlands. In our research the management commitment influenced the
kaizen process in the form of „change management – positively influencing kaizen
implementation‟; „high turnover of management – adversely affecting kaizen implementation‟;
„management support – positive influence on kaizen implementation‟; „management perceptions
about kaizen – influencing kaizen implementation depending on managerial perceptions‟; and
„management commitment – positively influencing kaizen implementation‟. Direct quotes from
respondents emphasizing the role of management commitment in kaizen implementation are
provided in Appendix. Management awareness and motivation for kaizen varied among
companies resulting in various levels of kaizen implementation.
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The second construct emerging from the data is the „extent of kaizen-methods application‟.
The findings show that companies used a broad range of kaizen methods including 5S, small
group activity, Pareto analysis, Ishikawa diagram, suggestion system, employee involvement,
root-cause analysis, on-the-job training, and visual management. Data analysis revealed that
many companies considered the mentioned kaizen practices central to their kaizen
implementation. These practices, in many cases, were not only the starting point but also
consistent focus of kaizen implementation endeavours. In many cases, kaizen professionals
invited from Japan to facilitate kaizen implementation in Dutch factories focused on these
practices. However, the extent of the use of these methods varied greatly among companies.
This, in turn, affected the intensity and functionality of kaizen implementation. Direct quotes
from respondents about these constructs are provided in Appendix. Kaizen implementation
framework as a function of these two constructs is shown in Figure 1. The findings are discussed
in terms of these two constructs.
Figure 1: Kaizen implementation framework
4.2 Reliability and validity of this research
We took a number of measures to ensure the reliability and validity of this research. A case study
protocol was developed to guide researcher in the field. The purpose of the case study protocol
Management commitment
High commitment
Low commitment
Kaizen approach – the extent
of kaizen-methods application
High degree of use
Low degree of use
Kaizen functionality
Employee pro-activeness
Organisation-wide use of kaizen methods, and
Continual improvement initiatives at the production floor
The emerged constructs
influencing
kaizen functionality
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was also to ensure that research operations can be repeated with accuracy. The measures taken
for reliability are in line with Eisenhardt (1989) and Yin (2003). To ensure the construct validity,
data was collected from multiple sources (Eisenhardt, 1989; Yin, 2003) including interviews
with managers and operators, observations, and company‟s internal documents analysis. Data
from multiple sources of evidence was triangulated to reach the conclusions. For example, data
regarding kaizen approach was obtained first from interviews. Analysis of internal documents
provided further information regarding the use of kaizen methods. The onsite observation
provided further details and confirmation about the existing kaizen practices. In the nutshell
findings are based on triangulation of evidences from multiple sources. We also discussed the
emerging constructs with interviewees. Internal validity was addressed through: 1) explanation
building – why a particular kaizen approach and the management commitment is needed for
kaizen functionality; 2) looking for contrasting evidences that could oppose the emerging
constructs and relationships to ensure the robustness of our suppositions – for instance, whether
high kaizen functionality existed in cases with low management commitment and with low
application of kaizen methods; 3) discussing the emerging constructs and relations with
interviewees; and 4) producing direct quotes from respondents, where insightful, to make sure
that correct inferences are being drawn. External validity which mainly concerns with ensuring
that findings are generalisable across broader contexts (Yin, 2003) was addressed through
selection of multiple cases from different industrial sectors.
5. Research findings
The „management commitment‟ and „kaizen approach‟ emerged as the main determinants of
kaizen implementation. This means that successful kaizen implementation is a function of
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management commitment and the approach used for kaizen implementation. The findings are
discussed in terms of these two factors.
5.1 High management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application
Three companies fall in this category. First company, control equipments manufacturer (CEM),
makes industrial automation components, electronic components, and healthcare equipments.
The second company, photographic film manufacturer (PFM), manufactures photography papers
and papers used in electronic devices such as medical equipments. The third company, heavy
machinery manufacturer (HMM), makes heavy machinery.
The CEM is a manufacturer of large variety of electronic components. The examples include
sensors, printed circuit boards (PCB), automated assemblies, and healthcare equipments. The
company was established in the Netherlands in 1988. Large numbers of Japanese expatriates
were deployed in this company to start kaizen. The Japanese expatriates introduced kaizen
practices in the company such as 5S, small group activities, determining root cause through
Ishikawa diagram and left the company after five years. The new Dutch management did not
know much about kaizen and was not motivated for kaizen. So while some kaizen practices
executed at the operational level were still there but due to lack of management motivation and
awareness kaizen could not flourish, remained isolated operational level practices and problems
started appearing. This led the company‟s headquarter to introduce change management program
at the company. As a first step a new Dutch managing director (MD) trained in kaizen was
brought. Then key managers at the company were sent to Japanese mother company for training.
Some Japanese kaizen professionals were also brought in the company. While the use of some
kaizen tools and techniques already existed in the company, the change management and
bringing new managers, trained in kaizen, provided a strong stimulus for organisation-wide
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kaizen implementation. The company started a formal kaizen program with full support of top-
management. Kaizen methods including 5S, small group activity, visual management, root-cause
analysis, operational streamlining using kanban, and continuous improvement were put to use.
The production manager noted,
“We use a broad range of kaizen practices on regular basis. Sometimes, to prevent the abandonment of
one kaizen practice, we use old kaizen practices with different names to make it challenging for
employees. This promotes the use of kaizen practices on regular basis”
Kaizen program is now more than a decade old and is an essential part of the overall
management system of the organisation. Top-management makes kaizen implementation a
regular feature through trainings and developing a „sense of urgency‟. Training remains an
essential kaizen feature at the CEM. It is in the form of both on-the-job training as well as
sending employees to mother company in Japan for training. Management creates sense of
urgency by bringing and discussing actual problems, as they arise in the production and come
from marketing, with employees on a regular basis. Employees see actual problems and feel the
pressure for improvement. The production manager noted,
“When employees see problems in the products they made themselves, they better understand the
problem and feel the pressure and urgency of the problem. This creates the strong motivation for kaizen
implementation”
“You need to create a sense of urgency for implementing kaizen. We develop a sense of urgency by
creating a burning platform where we show employees the problems and the need for improvement.
When you show employees problem and prove the need of kaizen they buy it and then it is the right time
to start kaizen implementation”
“The role of management is critical in kaizen implementation. You need to convince employees for kaizen and
then lead them for the change. Creating a sense of urgency, on its own, is not sufficient”
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Kaizen implementation, thus, remains a regular feature of this company. When management
noticed that kaizen program has reached maturity, is embedded in organisational culture, and has
developed into a role-model, the plant of the company where kaizen was initiated was developed
into a „show-case factory‟. Kaizen initiatives were then transferred to other functions such as
warehouse and distribution using kaizen professionals of the production department.
Employees at the CEM had high level of kaizen understanding. Employees also showed high
degree of proactiveness – determined using the kaizen operationalisation provided in sub-section
3.3. Interviews with managers and operators revealed that kaizen methods were a part of
routines. Kaizen methods, such as use of 5S, Kanban, JIT, root cause analysis, teamwork, muda
elimination, and visual management were highly visible on the production floor.
The PFM is the second company whose kaizen program is well established. This company
started its operations in 1986 by hiring fresh graduates directly from Dutch schools. They were
then sent to Japan for six months training. Managers mentioned in interview that trained
operators were critical to the kaizen implementation. They started practicing kaizen in the
company and disseminated it organisation-wide. Kaizen program was supported by 20 Japanese
expatriates working in the Dutch company. Kaizen implementation got full structural and
infrastructural support and started organisation-wide kaizen implementation. Structural support
was in the form of trainings in the use of kaizen methods – including 5S, PDCA cycle, K-T
method, visual management, and kanban-based inventory management. Infrastructural support
was in the form of development of teams, small group activities, employee involvement and
motivation. Other infrastructural changes regarding human resources management are discussed
in the next sections. In this whole process there was consistent support from the mother company
in Japan. Kaizen was implemented on a continual basis.
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Management used a structured approach to kaizen implementation that included providing
necessary resources, structures, and overall infrastructure for kaizen implementation. A part of
this structured approach was „kaizen goal setting‟ for improvement along various dimensions of
operations management. The starting point for kaizen implementation was goal setting for
operational dimensions such as quality, productivity, waste reduction, cost, and delivery. At the
core of this structured approach was the development of organisational culture conducive for
kaizen. The company developed the slogan „quality first, the family way‟ which meant that
company needed to improve the quality and operational performance while working in a way
that was just like a family. Japanese managers at the company introduced teamwork and trust-
based culture at the workplace. This was further supported with „no firing policy‟ and social
events at the end of each year involving family members, and also introducing other changes that
conveyed a message that company really cares about employees and their families. During
interviewees a number of managers noted that such initiatives received employees‟ appreciation
and boosted their morale. All these changes shaped the overall culture of the company that was
integral to the growth of kaizen. One operator noted,
“We work like a family. We do not treat each other as colleagues, rather members of the family”
Many young operators who obtained kaizen training and experience in their routine jobs were
promoted later to managers. The kaizen program, thus, remains a well institutionalised program
organisation-wide and remains an essential element of organisational culture.
The kaizen program was implemented at the PFM since its inception and matured over time.
The management approach was to implement kaizen for long term benefits through training
employees in the use of kaizen methods and cultural change leading to employee motivation and
development. To summarise, the kaizen implementation was a function of the „use of broad
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range of kaizen methods‟ and „management commitment‟. The latter crystallised in the form of
recruiting fresh graduates and then their kaizen training; and development of kaizen culture.
The third company, HMM, started its operations in the Netherlands in 1992. This company
relies heavily on employees training for its kaizen implementation. The mode of training is on-
the-job training where employees are trained about the application of kaizen methods in their
routine tasks. Employees have high level of kaizen understanding and motivation. Kaizen is,
therefore, implemented on a regular basis and throughout the company. Kaizen implementation
is actively supported by the top-management.
The kaizen approach of aforementioned companies can be summarised as: 1) high
management commitment that crystallizes in nurturing employees‟ motivation and providing
infrastructural support for kaizen methods; and 2) organisation-wide use of broad range of kaizen
methods for performance improvement.
5.2 High management commitment, low degree of kaizen-methods application
A number of companies fall in this category where management was committed for kaizen
implementation and the approach for kaizen implementation was low degree of kaizen methods
application.
One company falling in this category is a zipper manufacturer and was established in the
Netherlands in 1964 and started kaizen implementation the same year. Japanese management of
this company is committed to kaizen and has in-depth understanding of kaizen. During
interviews managers noted a number of factors that influenced kaizen implementation. The most
important were cultural differences and communication. One Japanese manager, explicitly
referring to the „power difference‟ structure in Japan and the Netherlands, explained that in
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Japanese factory when managers emphasize kaizen to subordinates, it is accepted as such due to
two reasons. First, Japanese workers are fully aware of this concept as it is indigenous to Japan
and they understand its importance. Second, the high power distance structure in Japanese
companies leads the employees to accept without much questioning. These two factors, however,
do not exist at all in Dutch culture where power distance is too low, and in so doing, operators
question each initiative, and managers have to convince operators of the benefits of kaizen
before they could buy it. Japanese mangers having orientation in Japanese companies did not feel
comfortable in this situation and kaizen implementation could not be implemented to the full
extent. Nevertheless management was committed for kaizen implementation. The approach used
by the managers for kaizen implementation was to employ a limited set of kaizen practices such
as 5S, visual management, trouble shooting techniques, and visualisation of performance.
Communication gap between Japanese mangers and Dutch operators also determined the
extent of kaizen implementation. The mode of communication between Japanese managers /
kaizen professionals and Dutch operators was English – first language of neither of the two.
Although Japanese managers and kaizen professionals could demonstrate the use of kaizen
practices, the underlying philosophy and the rich information required for their effective kaizen
understanding could not be communicated. The poor communication led to the use of limited set
of kaizen methods. Another reason of inconsistent and limited use of kaizen methods was that
the Japanese MD of the company kept changing every four to five years. This affected the
middle-management support and consistency of kaizen implementation, thus, leading to further
difficulties in implementation of broad range of kaizen methods.
Some other companies also fall in this category. A number of factors, determining kaizen
implementation, common to these companies were:
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Dutch managers, although familiar with the kaizen concept and its expected benefits, did
not know what practices it comprised and how to put them in practice.
In some cases, management had a very narrow vision of kaizen and thought that it
consisted of some performance improvement practices that have their origin in Japan.
Management put these limited practices into use. This resulted in a scenario where
committed management advocated the use of few set of kaizen methods and thought that
kaizen was implemented.
Management had some problematic areas that were so conspicuous that it required the
use of some kaizen methods more than others. For example, in one organisation large
amount of waste was problem so management focused on „muda elimination‟ – waste
elimination. Management, in such cases, employed a very limited set of kaizen practices
meant for fixing that particular problem.
In some organisations, there was high turn over of management. The new management
developed new priorities. This led to the inconsistent use of kaizen methods resulting in
limited set of kaizen practices.
Communication gap between Japanese managers / kaizen professionals and Dutch
operators also hindered the understanding of underlying kaizen philosophy and prevented
the use of full range of kaizen practices.
In all the cases falling in this category, management made committed efforts for kaizen
implementation and made use of kaizen approach that consisted of a limited set of kaizen
methods. Kaizen functionality was limited to the use of a set of employed practices. This could
not develop in the employees the proactive problem finding, problem solving, and continuous
improvement – that are pivotal to kaizen implementation. Nor did companies develop team
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working or small group activities that are essential to kaizen. At the production floor the use of
kaizen methods was also very limited.
5.3 Low management commitment, low degree of kaizen-methods application
The first company, a flux core wire (used in welding) manufacturer, was established in 1994.
The top-management of this company has understanding of kaizen and used the kaizen approach
characterised by low extent of kaizen-methods application. The MD of the company believed
that an essential pre-requisite for kaizen implementation is life long employment which is a
common feature in Japanese companies employing kaizen. It is difficult to implement kaizen if
there is high employee turnover. If kaizen trained employees leave the company so frequently, it
causes irreparable loss. The MD further noted that lifetime employment is not common in the
Netherlands and employee turnover rate is higher as compared to Japanese companies. It is,
therefore, not a worthy investment of time and resources to implement kaizen in the Dutch
company. In addition, the top Japanese management also kept changing every four to five years.
This made it further difficult to implement the broad range of kaizen practices consistently. The
use of kaizen methods was limited to the use of checklists, employee suggestion system, and
employee job rotation.
The second company, a manufacturer of dairy products, started its operations in the
Netherlands in 1994 and started kaizen the same year. The company, however, could not develop
organisation-wide kaizen mainly due to varying level of commitment at various management
tiers. For the MD of the company kaizen was not a priority and so top-management did not
emphasize kaizen. For the operations manager, who was Japanese, kaizen was essential for
competitiveness of the company. Not finding the support of the MD, the operations manager
started implementing kaizen practices such as small group activities and 5S. Due to lack of MD
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commitment the use of kaizen practices remained isolated and limited and could not grow as
organisation-wide performance management program. As a result the kaizen implementation
remained confined, mainly, to few kaizen practices.
Kaizen functionality in both aforementioned cases was limited in terms of proactive problem
identification and problem solving at the production floor. Quality control circles and small
group activities could not be developed. Kaizen practices were least visible at the production
floor. To summarise, the kaizen implementation existed in its minimum form in the two
companies.
The CEM Company, mentioned earlier in „high management commitment, high degree of
kaizen-methods application‟ initially passed through this stage in its struggle for kaizen
implementation. The company remained in this stage with low degree of kaizen-methods
application and low management commitment unless it introduced change management to
improve its kaizen implementation.
Some other companies also fall in this category. The common reasons for why they could not
implement kaizen were: 1) the management of the companies did not know much about kaizen
and its benefits, 2) did not know how to implement kaizen, 3) inability to motivate workforce for
kaizen; and 4) faced difficulties in kaizen implementation. As a result kaizen existed in these
companies in its minimum form.
5.4 Low management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods implementation
A number of companies passed through this stage before transition to another stage. One such
case is discussed here. The HCM, a manufacturer of heavy construction machinery, struggled
long with the implementation of kaizen but could not develop organisation-wide kaizen. The first
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attempt for kaizen implementation started immediately after the company was established and
one Japanese production manager was sent to the Dutch factory. The Japanese production
manager was expert of starting production set up, with little knowledge and motivation for
kaizen. This company initially started from „Low management commitment, low degree of
kaizen-methods application‟. Realising the difficulties in kaizen implementation, the headquarter
sent several Japanese kaizen professionals for starting kaizen. The kaizen professionals, who
started working at the production floor, introduced several kaizen practices and developed a
kaizen model for the whole organisation. This was a significant move towards kaizen
implementation and led to high degree of kaizen methods application. At that time, the company
employed extensively various kaizen methods despite that top-management had neither
understanding of kaizen nor was motivated enough. This stage was, thus, „low management
commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application‟. This scenario, however, changed once
the Japanese kaizen professionals left the company after completing their assignment. This led to
the reduction in the use of kaizen methods. Realizing these difficulties, the headquarter sent a
new Japanese factory manager. The new manager experienced in kaizen implementation made
efforts to resurrect the fading kaizen methods. Management introduced organisation-wide
changes to provide a supporting environment for kaizen implementation. Use of kaizen practices,
however, remained limited. One lesson that the company learned from the kaizen professionals
was that use of kaizen methods could further be improved through enhanced communication of
kaizen experts with Dutch operators. This stage was, thus, „high management commitment, low
degree of kaizen-methods application‟. The decline in the use of kaizen methods was an
alarming situation for the management. Finally management hired Dutch kaizen consultant to
promote kaizen communication with their Dutch operators. The Dutch consultant and the
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Japanese production manager, together, made organisation-wide efforts to deploy kaizen
methods. At the time of this research company employed broad range of kaizen methods and
management was satisfied with their kaizen initiatives. This stage could be categorised as „high
management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application‟. This resulted in highly
functional kaizen with high employee proactiveness, development of quality control circles,
proactive problem identification and problem solving.
This company, thus, represents a case that underwent multiple transitions in kaizen
implementation. This happened due to change in management and gap in communication among
the Japanese managers and trainers and the Dutch employees. The company started its journey
from a stage of „low management commitment, low degree of kaizen-methods application‟
through „low management commitment, high use of kaizen-methods application‟ and „high
management commitment, low degree of kaizen-methods application‟ to „high management
commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application‟.
6. Results
6.1 Kaizen implementation – a function of management commitment and kaizen-approach
The findings of this research highlight the pivotal role of „top-management commitment‟ and the
„kaizen approach‟ in the implementation of kaizen. The role of management commitment in the
implementation of kaizen could be expected as a critical factor since the kaizen implementation
is an organisation-wide performance improvement program and requires active management
commitment, allocation of resources, and consistent support. However the findings also show
that it is not only the management commitment but also the kaizen implementation approach that
is critical to the success of kaizen. For example, in our first category, labelled as „high
management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application‟, the company used a
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synergistic approach where „organisation-wide, broad range of kaizen methods‟ application was
supported by the top-management. In this case, the top-management actively encouraged the use
of broad range of kaizen methods and used various approaches to support kaizen. The
management created a sense of urgency in employees by sharing and discussing with them the
complaints from the market. This led the employees to think that there were serious problems
with the products they manufactured and customers were unwilling to buy them. The cumulative
impact of such initiatives was an enhanced understanding of kaizen throughout the organisation
and leading to use of broad range of kaizen-methods. The management commitment at the CEM
remained an essential and regular element. Once the top-management realised that kaizen had
caught roots in the plant, management decided to make it a „show-case‟ factory and started
implementing kaizen to other functions of the organisation including distribution, and
warehouse.
Similarly at the PCM, the kaizen implementation was characterised by a full range of kaizen-
methods application fully supported by top-management commitment. In this case, management
introduced extensive organisation-wide changes to introduce kaizen. Kaizen professionals were
invited form Japan and management introduced deep impacting cultural changes. While the
kaizen professional trained Dutch employees in the application of kaizen methods, the
management introduced concomitant changes to support kaizen implementation – such as: 1)
goal setting for quality, productivity, waste reduction, cost, and delivery, 2) the development of
kaizen nurturing environment – teamwork and trust-based culture, 3) human resources policies –
no employee firing, and 4) employees recognition through social events. Similarly in the third
company, kaizen program relied heavily on the top-management commitment and extensive
employees‟ on-the-job-trainings. The kaizen initiatives at this company were embedded in the
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whole organisation and were actively supported by the top-management. This highlights the
synergistic role of „top-management commitment‟ and the use of the „broad range of kaizen-
methods organisation-wide‟.
On the other hand, the organisations falling in the category of „high management
commitment, low degree of kaizen-methods application‟ faced problems in the organisation-wide
implementation of kaizen. In the companies falling in this category, management was motivated
for kaizen implementation but could not develop the synergistic use of management commitment
and the use of kaizen-methods. The main reasons for inability to fully develop organisation-wide
kaizen were: 1) managers‟ narrow vision of kaizen where they perceived kaizen as merely a
collection of few practices; 2) inability to convince employees for kaizen implementation and,
thus, employees not buying the idea of kaizen implementation, 3) intentional use of some tools
and techniques, such as muda elimination, to address the priority problems; 4) failure to develop
organisation-wide kaizen; and 5) frequent change of top-management leading to inconsistent
kaizen implementation. The approach of „high management commitment, low degree of kaizen
methods application‟ gave rise to kaizen program having limited functionality.
This shows that while the top-management commitment is essential for kaizen
implementation, the concurrent use of organisation-wide kaizen methods is also critical. An
inability to develop „organisation-wide and broad range of kaizen-methods‟, despite the top-
management motivation for kaizen, leads to only „techno-centric‟ approach to kaizen whose
spectrum is narrow. These companies, thus, could not develop a fully functional and effective
kaizen – determined in terms of employee pro-activeness to identify and solve problems,
organisation-wide use of kaizen methods, and continual improvement initiatives at the
production floor. Thus implementation of a fully functional kaizen requires both management
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commitment as well as high degree of kaizen-methods application. This also means that kaizen
implementation is a simultaneous function of both the top-management commitment as well as
the kaizen approach. This leads to our first proposition:
Proposition 1: Successful kaizen implementation is a simultaneous function of both the
management commitment and the kaizen implementation approach.
6.2 The stages of kaizen implementation and dynamic transition among stages
The findings highlight that organisations may have various stages of kaizen implementation
depending on the level of management commitment and the use of kaizen-approach. The cases
could be categorised into four types based on the level of management commitment and kaizen
approach – the extent of the application of kaizen-methods. The three organisations falling in the
first category „high management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods application‟ were
able to develop an organisation-wide and fully functional kaizen program. The CEM, for
instance, not only developed the organisation-wide kaizen but also moved towards development
of „show-case factory‟ as a model for kaizen and implemented kaizen to other organisational
functions as well. The PFM was able to integrate kaizen not only in the core business processes
but also in the company culture. We also noted the instances when kaizen application remained
to minimum even when there was high management commitment. Thus, there may be various
stages of kaizen implementation depending on the level of management commitment and kaizen
approach. This could be explained through Figure 1 which shows various stages of kaizen.
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Figure 1: Various stages of kaizen implementation
The findings show that the kaizen implementation is not a static process and organisations
may move among various quadrants, as shown in Figure 1, depending on how they approach
kaizen and leverage management commitment. This means that organisations may move among
various quadrants and their kaizen programs may undergo improvements as well as deterioration.
The HCM Company mentioned in „low management commitment, high degree of kaizen-methods
application‟ is one salient example. To summarise the description of this case, the company went
through all mentioned stages of kaizen, as reflected in the quadrants of the Figure, before it
finally moved to the highly functional state. Its journey to kaizen started from the „passive
kaizen‟. When the headquarter noticed difficulties in kaizen implementation, it sent kaizen
professionals to help company with kaizen implementation. These kaizen professionals taught
the employees how to implement kaizen and developed kaizen-model for the company, thus,
moving the company to „ad hoc kaizen‟. The departure of kaizen professionals led to the
reduction in the use of kaizen methods, moving the company to the „dormant phase‟. Finally the
company employed a Dutch consultant to facilitate effective communication with Dutch
operators and to promote the application of kaizen methods. Similarly the CEM, initially
struggled long with „ad hoc kaizen‟ before it finally introduced the change management to
Highly functional
kaizen
Passive kaizen
Dormant kaizen
Ad hoc kaizen
High degree of
kaizen-methods
application
Low degree of
kaizen-methods
application
Low management
commitment
High management
commitment
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introduce organisation-wide kaizen. The PFM implemented full kaizen right from the beginning.
PFM, CEM, and HMM (all highly functional kaizen) applied broad range of kaizen methods
with concomitant employee engagement, motivation, and training and management support to
provide conducive infrastructure. The findings also show that the dairy company, falling in the
category of „low management commitment, low degree of kaizen methods application‟, had two
tiers of management having different perceptions towards kaizen. In this case, middle managers
not winning the support of top-management were able to employ kaizen practices to some extent
leading to „passive kaizen‟. Some other companies also struggled with kaizen implementation in
different ways. This is explained in Figure 2 which shows possible transitions among the various
stages of kaizen. The Figure shows only some generic possible transitions. In practice
organisations may be located anywhere in the four quadrants depending upon the level of
management commitment and kaizen approach.
Figure 2: The possible transitions among various stages of kaizen
In all above cases, organisations used different approaches to kaizen implementation. These
approaches included change management (at CEM), hiring consultant to facilitate kaizen-
specific communication (at HCM), and inviting kaizen professionals (at HCM and CEM). The
Highly functional
kaizen
Passive kaizen
Dormant kaizen
Ad hoc kaizen
High degree of
kaizen-methods
application
Low degree of
kaizen-methods
application
Low management
commitment
High management
commitment
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PFM used extensive on-the-job trainings and cultural changes impacting employee hiring and
firing policies, employee motivation, and work style. This means that while organisations can
move from one stage of kaizen implementation to another, they would need different types of
approaches for this transition. And this approach would depend upon existing stage of kaizen.
This leads to our second proposition:
Proposition 2: Organisations may have various stages of kaizen implementation; moving from
less functional to highly functional kaizen requires different strategies depending on the existing
stage of kaizen implementation.
7. Discussion
7.1 Synergy of management commitment and kaizen approach
The emergence of two constructs, i.e., management commitment and kaizen approach is in line
with the definition of kaizen used by Brunet and New (2003) who defined kaizen as “the degree
to which the processes of kaizen are systematised and organised, and the degree to which senior
managers specify or influence the themes of kaizen activities” (p. 1428). In addition to
determinants of kaizen implementation, this research also reveals how these determinants
influence kaizen implementation. Regarding „management commitment‟ previous research
shows that top-management commitment is essential for the kaizen implementation, see for
example, Bessant (2003), Boer and Gertsen (2003), and Brunet and New (2003). However,
findings of this research provide further explanation to the role of management commitment and
highlight its synergy with kaizen approach. As we find that in cases that fall in the category of
„high management commitment; low application of kaizen methods‟ (dormant kaizen),
management commitment was essentially there but kaizen approach was low degree of kaizen-
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methods application. The companies in this category could not develop kaizen mentality and
organisation-wide kaizen – determined in terms of employee-proactiveness, organisation-wide
use of kaizen, use of kaizen methods by employees at shop-floor, and continual improvement
initiatives at the shop-floor. This means that the development of a functional kaizen is
determined not only by the management commitment but also by the kaizen approach. Same is
also with the cases that fall in the category of „high management commitment, high degree of
kaizen-methods application‟ (functional kaizen). In these companies management was
committed for kaizen implementation and used kaizen approach involving high degree of kaizen-
methods application. They were able to develop a functional kaizen – a culture promoting
organisation-wide use of kaizen and continual improvement on regular basis. This research, thus,
provides extension to the previous research concluding that management commitment is the
main determinant of kaizen implementation. The concurrent role of management commitment
and use of kaizen-methods application highlights the need of kaizen implementation to be
addressed along the both frontiers.
While the kaizen methods are needed to provide necessary structures and means for root-
cause analysis, problems solving, operational streamlining, and continual improvement;
management commitment is needed to promote and institutionalise their use. Management
commitment in such cases appears in the form of allocation of organisational resources such as
human, financial, material, technological, and infrastructural; work design; and the use of
incentives to support such initiatives. This was prominent, in particular, in the case of CEM
where management actively supported the use of kaizen-methods through creating a sense of
urgency by discussing market complaints and problems with employees. The management
commitment was also prominent in the case of PFM where management emphasised the
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development of kaizen culture reflected in employee recruiting patterns, work style, and
organisation of social events. The findings, thus, highlight that organisations need to align their
social and technical initiatives to develop a functional kaizen. The need of social and technical
alignment lies at the heart of socio-technical system theory (Appelbaum, 1997; Manz and
Stewart, 1997; Pasmore, 1988) – the alignment of the social side with the technical side of the
enterprise. The findings can also be viewed from the perspective of „structural‟ and
„infrastructural‟ support required for kaizen implementation. The structural element includes
kaizen methods – statistical process control, flow charts, problem solving methodologies, quality
costs, histograms, benchmarking, Pareto diagram, cause and effect diagram, etc, and their
formalisation. The infrastructural elements include management commitment, employee
involvement, motivation, and empowerment required for kaizen implementation. The effective
kaizen implementation requires both structural and infrastructural changes (Table 1) and their
alignment.
Kaizen methods Kaizen infrastructure
5S, Ishikawa diagram, Pareto analysis,
small group activities, suggestion system,
root-cause analysis,
Top-management support
Employee motivation
Employee involvement
Empowerment
Kaizen information
Team building and quality circles
Developing shared norms and values
Conducive culture
Table 1: The structural and infrastructural elements of kaizen
7.2 Dynamic process of kaizen implementation
Kaizen implementation is a function of management commitment and kaizen approach.
Variations in these two factors can give rise to various types of kaizen implementation stages.
Findings of this research are in line with the findings of Brunet and New (2003) who found that
the kaizen programs change over time and that there are significant differences in the way kaizen
was put to practice in organisations. They further found that kaizen program of each company
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was the result of their complex and specific history. Our findings show that Kaizen
implementation is not a static process rather a dynamic one where companies can move from one
stage to another depending upon their management commitment and kaizen approach. The
findings also show that it was common among cases to improve to highly functional kaizen after
passing through several transitions. While kaizen implementation is discussed in literature in
terms of its benefits, and factors affecting kaizen implementation; the process of kaizen
implementation, in particular, the process whereby kaizen implementation goes through various
transitions is not adequately discussed in previous publications (Brunet and New, 2003). This
transition among various stages of kaizen could be explained in terms of structural contingency
theory which attempts to explain context–structure–performance relationships (Melan, 1998).
This theory states that organisations that succeed to establish a fit between organisational
structures – kaizen methods in this case, and contextual factors – management commitment in
this case, would achieve higher performance – development of a function kaizen, than those that
fail to do so. It can be assumed that it is the fit between managerial commitment, which
crystallizes in the form of supportive context and a conducive organisational culture, and kaizen
methods that determines the success of kaizen implementation. In other words, it is not the
independent effect of kaizen methods or the management commitment that leads to a fully
functional kaizen program.
Kaizen implementation is an important topic of research because kaizen implementation
requires organisational resources and managers‟ time. Depending on particular contextual
factors, organisations may have their kaizen implementation at any one of the aforementioned
stages. The understanding of kaizen process is likely to enable effective management of kaizen.
Future research should focus on testing the stated propositions using longitudinal and / or cross-
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sectional research. Future research could focus on whether similar process of kaizen
implementation also exists in countries other than the Netherlands. The four quadrants
representing the kaizen implementation stages need further research. A number of cultural
factors are highlighted in within-case description as affecting kaizen implementation in the
Dutch companies. Further research is needed to fully explore the role of cultural factors in kaizen
implementation.
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Appendix
Some exemplary quotes from respondents
Role of leadership
“Current production manager … is a Kaizen professional. The kaizen activities are running very well now because the
managers are involved. Operators are enjoying it. If the top management was replaced, let us say, by the previous production
manager who had no interests in Kaizen, it will disappear immediately.”(Project manager)
“Level of kaizen activities is depending on MD because we had changes in the company‟s MD every four years. Current MD is
here since August last year; before that previous MD was here for two and a half year, two more MDs were here before them.
This is not a good strategy” (Production manager)
“Kaizen started when the company was established, which means from the start. At that time the company was set up and was
led by the Japanese managers who tried to introduce all the techniques which they knew. This mentality was quite supported
during the first 5 years. Then Dutch management took over and these activities faded away.” (MD)
“Our MD is changing every 5 years. Current MD is here for more than a year. Every MD is doing totally different things. So
kaizen is totally depends on MD. If the MD is changing frequently, it is not nice” (Production manager)
“Our top-management is the main driver for kaizen implementation (Equipment programmer)
“Dutch team leader tried to initiate 5S program since he did not receive support and resource from the top manager, it
diminished after a year.” (Production manager)
Role of kaizen methods
It is typical for people to think that the Toyota Way is an example of Kaizen methods such as JIT, Kanban, and so on. These are
mere methods and processes that are established in a culture. (Project Leader Planning Project)
For me kaizen is continuous improvement in small steps, in the end with big result. Do it at the production floor, engineering
issues or something else but with the employee on the production floor. That is, for me, Kaizen. And all the rest of the tools we
call it re-manufacturing. And remanufacturing is kaizen as well.
I think kaizen is a mentality and also methods. For example, 5S. We are doing 5S from the beginning, so we know 5S… [now]
we are busy with the lean manufacturing concept. These tools are different steps in kaizen implementation. We must learn the
methods from very beginning (Kaizen engineer) Kaizen is the continuous improvements which are defined as small steps. Continuously present in your working methods like
the Deming wheel is consisting of plan, do, check, and act (Plant manager)
“In Japan, we use 5S as groundwork and then implement the suggestion system or daily use of Kaizen circles” (Director
production and R&D development)
“Kaizen method is especially to involve operators and to make them aware of the importance. What I experienced in the past
was that once accident happened, we used Kaizen methods to find out what the reason was of that accident. Sometime you have
different conclusions than your first idea. That is also one suggestion from the Nippon Steel. I think (kaizen is about) tools”
(Factory manager)
“Kaizen is a system that deals with plan, act, kind of sequence to improve your procedures and the products” (MD)
“Kaizen [is a collection of methods] like quality management and plan, do, check, and act cycle” (operator)
We started with Ishikawa Diagram … we are [now] using small group activities, 5S, and more shop floor level improvement
activities. Every Monday we do kaizen activities like training, 5S, and TPM. Every Monday we have a day like 5S or TPM or
[company‟ name] principals. (equipment programmer)
[to implement kaizen] we use checklists and suggestion systems
Kaizen is a collection of methods
One employee referring to the kanban production system noted: [our kaizen system is] very much driven by the Japanese
company to use Kanban system in the production area that is a physical system which identifies that you work with two or three
or four boxes of material and once you use one box of material you trigger for the next in the mean while you reorder for the
one used. So it is replaced in time to assure continuous work. Once we miss the part we really cannot finish the product. Lead
time is 8 weeks so you are out …we had once we had a big problem of that. So we had to slow down three production lines
with almost two to three weeks.
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