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- Bengt, Halling, 1959-
(författare)
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Lean Implementation : the significance of people and dualism
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lean, with its origins at the Toyota Motor Company, is a concept that is known to increase effectiveness in manufacturing. The Lean concept is now argued to be relevant not only in manufacturing but in service and health-care delivery as well. The reported results of Lean implementation efforts are divided. There are reports that most of the Lean implementation efforts are not reaching the goal; on the other hand, there are reports of promising results. The divided results from Lean implementation efforts show how important it is to research and identify factors that are barriers to successful implementation of Lean. This thesis aims to contribute knowledge about barriers to Lean implementation by collecting empirical findings from manufacturing and health care and structuring the perceived barriers and difficulties to Lean implementation. My first study aimed to compare similarities and divergences in barriers to Lean described by key informants in manufacturing and health care. The data was collected via semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that the perceived difficulties and barriers are much the same in manufacturing and health care. The second study was a case study at a manufacturing firm, researching how the views on Lean of the managers implementing Lean influence its implementation. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals and covered all hierarchical management levels in the company. Findings showed that managers' views on Lean influence the implementation but also that learning during the implementation process can alter managers' views of Lean. The third study aimed to research how management of Lean is described in the literature. This was done through a literature review. The findings showed that Lean management is a matter of dualism, consisting of two complementary systems of action, management and leadership, which are related to the two basic principles of Lean, continuous improvement and respect for the people.
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| 2. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Experienced Barriers to Lean in Swedish Manufacturing and Health Care
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Lean Thinking. - 2146-0337. ; 4:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A B S T R A C T Purpose: The purpose is to compare similarities and divergences in how the concepts of Lean and barriers to Lean are described by key informants at a production unit in a large manufacturing company and two emergency health care units in Sweden.Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the constant comparative method (CCM) and Porras and Robertson’s(1992) change model.Findings: In both organizations, the view of Lean changed from a toolbox to a human behavior view. Eight barriers were experienced in both organizations. Three barrierswere unique to manufacturing or to health care, respectively. Nine barriers were elements of social factors;five were elements of organizing arrangements.Research limitations/implications: Only people practically involved and responsible for the implementation at the two organizations participated in the study.Practical implications: Persons responsible for implementing Lean should consider organizational arrangements and social factors in order to limit barriers tosuccessful implementation.Originality/value: Most research on Lean has been about successful Lean implementations. This study focuses on how Lean is viewed and what barriers personnel inmanufacturing and health care have experienced. In comparing the barriers to Lean experienced in the two groups, common, archetypical, and unique barriers for manufacturing and health care can be identified, thus contributing to knowledge about barriers to Lean implementation.
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| 3. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-
(författare)
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Human Lean : Combining Sense of Coherence and Lean to achieve productivity and health
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to identify barriers to and supportive factors for Lean implementation and to investigate how application of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) theory combined with Lean philosophy may affect health and productivity. The thesis is based on five studies. The first study compared similarities and divergences in barriers to Lean described in interviews by informants in manufacturing and health care. The second study was a case study at a manufacturing firm. Interviews with managers implementing Lean revealed how their views on Lean influenced the implementation. In the third study, a literature analysis was used to conceptualize the concepts and roles of leadership and management in regard to Lean. In the fourth study it was explored how productivity, quality, work attendance and numbers of rehabilitation cases were influenced after implementation of sense of coherence theory based managerial behavior at three workplaces. The fifth study examined how the implementation of a new leadership approach based on the SOC theory combined with Lean philosophy relate to productivity, quality and levels of sick leave at a steel-producing company. The results from the studies show that the perceived difficulties and barriers are much the same in manufacturing and health care. Another finding was that managers' views on Lean influence the implementation but also that learning during the implementation process can alter their views. A third finding is that lean management is a matter of dualism, consisting of two complementary systems of action, management and leadership, which are related to the two basic principles of Lean, continuous improvement and respect for people. After application of the SOC theory combined with Lean as a basis for the managerial approach, there were improvements in productivity, quality, attendance at work and reduced levels of sick leave at all four studied workplaces, as well as fewer cases of rehabilitation at three workplaces. Several conclusions can be drawn. One is that Lean consultants with a limited approach to Lean, lack of a common organization-wide definition of Lean, and lack of supportive leadership are barriers to Lean implementation. Lean consultants with deep knowledge and capability to teach others Lean is a supportive factor. An organization-wide definition of Lean through an organization-specific Lean philosophy is another supportive factor. Managers that use both leadership and management to support people is a supportive factor to Lean. The study also shows that an application of SOC theory combined with Lean may be positively associated with health and productivity improvements. The overall conclusion is that people’s way of thinking and acting is the nucleus in Lean. To emphasize the importance of people, I suggest to call the approach of combining SOC and Lean “Human Lean.”
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| 4. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-
(författare)
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Lean : en fråga om tvåfald eller enfald
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- SammanfattningBiltillverkaren Toyota anses vara ett av världens effektivaste företag och beskrivs som en framgångssaga.Toyotas framgångar har lett till att många företag och organisationer inom olika branscher försökt lära av Toyota och deras sätt att bedriva sin verksamhet med syfte att nå liknande framgångar som Toyota way gett Toyota. Detta har vanligtvis skett under begreppet Lean. Lean som begrepp myntades och spreds av forskare i USA. Undersökningar av resultatet av de Lean införanden som gjorts i olika företag och organisationer visar att mycket få lyckas. SyfteReflektera över motsättningar och överensstämmelser av olika beskrivningar av Toyota Way och Lean, samt 2. reflektera över varför få lyckas med Lean.Resultaten viktig faktor bakom den höga andelen misslyckade Lean införanden är att Toyota way är ett tvåfaldigt system medan Lean, som införs med syfte att nå framgångar liknande de Toyota uppnått, oftast införs som ett enfaldigt system. För att fungera behöver Lean samma tvåfaldighet som Toyota way annars uppnås bara något som kan benämnas ”bluff Lean”.DiskussionÄr lösningen på nuvarande problem med den låga andelen framgångsrika Lean införanden att lära om och då från primärkällan Toyota.Finns det behov att skapa svenska Leanbegrepp?Är många Leankonsulter ett hot mot framgångsrikt införande av Lean?Vad lärs ut om Lean på svenska lärosäten, den tvåfaldiga eller den enfaldiga ”Lean modellen”?Är erfarenheterna från TWI och insikten från The European Productivity Agency’s Report of the Rome Conference 1958, om att överordnat allt annat är produktivitet en fråga om inställning, glömda i västvärlden?
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| 5. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Lean and the implementation process : managers perspective on change
- 2011
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Ingår i: Det nya arbetslivet.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction and aims: Research has shown that view on Lean production differs both between researchers and practitioners and that there is no uniform definition of the concept (Emiliani 2006; Pettersen 2009). Furthermore, the perspective on Lean production as toolbox or philosophy, sometimes expressed as Lean thinking, influences the Lean implementation. Implementation of Lean can be seen as a project or an initiation of an ongoing developmental process where learning is taking place (Rother 2010). The purpose of this paper is to survey managers´s wiew of lean in terms of “toolbox Lean” or Lean thinking and their view of the implementation process in terms of a project with a time limit or as an initiation of an ongoing developmental process. The intention is to increase understanding about the relationship betweenhow Lean production is defined and implemented. Method: This paper is based on a case study at a Swedish manufacturing company aiming tobecome a company working with a business system based on Lean principles. The study has a multilevel, vertical, perspective covering five hierarchical management levels in the organization, from president of the company to first line managers at the shop floor. Data was collected through individual semi structured interviews with 14 managers at different organizational levels. Findings and reflection: The view on Lean has, according to managers, evolved at all management levels within the organization during the implementation. From a starting point were Lean was perceived as a set of tools by most, it has, as the managers increased their knowledge evolved into a view that is more complex and also includes behavioral and cultural issues. This would indicate that even if the starting point of an implementation of Lean is Lean tool focused it may over time come to include issues of management protocol addressing cultural development, coaching and communication as learning regarding the organizational needs take place. The interviews showed that managers on different hierarchical levels of the organization believed there to be differences in view regarding Lean within the organization. We however found the view on Lean to be quite similar at all management levels, described as a customer focused; standardized way of working that is continuously improved by keeping a process focus. The impression of there being differences in view regarding Lean is most likely caused by a lack of dialogue between organizational levels within the organization. Varying competence levels regarding Lean and thereby varying ways of working within the organization may create a lack of support between production and support functions. Health and health promotion are seen as important factors at the production unit that was studied. Research limitations: Organizational size and only partial coverage of the organization may limit the results validity to the parts of the organization that was researched and to larger organizations. Value: This paper provides insights regarding the learning process connected to a Lean implementation and that alterations of perspectives and needs may take place during such a process. Keywords: Lean production; Lean management; Lean implementation Paper type: Case study
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| 6. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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LEAN och Ledarskap
- 2012
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Ingår i:
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroductionResearch has shown that leadership is an important factor when implementing and developing a TPS (Toyota Production System) inspired Lean way of working in organizations. In spite of it´s stated importance, leadership is indicated as a weak area and a problem in many organizations striving to develop as Lean enterprises. To successfully implement and develop a sustainable Lean way of working it becomes essential to understand what kind of leadership a Lean organization requires. There is a stated gap in Lean literature regarding management and difficulties in implementation are indicated to often occur due to overlooked but crucial differences in approach in management.Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe leadership from a Lean perspective and identify possible key factors regarding leadership for a developing Lean organization.Method: This paper is based on a literature study.Results: Leadership within a Lean organization can be said to be characterized by a deep knowledge regarding the operation processes in order to be able to mentor, coach, and develop employees in line with company standards, goals and vision. It is indicated that a leaders primary responsibility is to support in the development of subordinates by taking active part in problem solving and by role modeling. To develop people in a way means to continuously challenge them, this challenge being a way to assure continuous improvement. With a long term perspective and the principle of “respect for people” in mind this means balancing the challenge to avoid overburdening (muri). Two aspects are of importance here; deep knowledge regarding company processes, standards and protocol and a close working relationship with subordinates in order to be able to continously coach, mentor, and take active part in problem solving.Discussion: Leadership and the role of management in Lean implementation and development will, if continuous improvement and not just implementation of tools is aspired, be to support structures and behaviors needed for problem solving and organizational learning. Toyota is by several sources described as a learning organization and Lean systems based on Toyota will thus require a leadership and a management system that meet the requirements of a learning organization. This type of leadership appears to be similar to what Bass (1999) describes as transformational and transactional leadership where inspiration & idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration are key factors as well as goal setting, contracting, structure and standards.Value: This paper provides insights regarding possible key factors concerning leadership in regard to Lean implementation and development as well as the importance and purpose of leadership in a lean organization.
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| 7. |
- Halling, Bengt, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Sense of coherence and Lean-based leadership and alterations in sick leave and production
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is a need for more knowledge about leadership interventions and their implications for production and sick leave.OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study was to examine how productivity and rate of sick leave changed at a stainless wire manufacturing unit after implementing a new leadership approach based on Sense of Coherence theory (SOC) and Lean philosophy.METHODS: In this case study, productivity, quality and sick leave were evaluated through the company’s key performance indicators. The follow-up was also based on narrative descriptions from the management team in the course of four meetings during the intervention. Notes were taken and analyzed regarding perceived outcomes of the intervention.RESULTS: The results showed that productivity per worker increased, as did the amount of yearly production that met the quality specifications. The amount of sick leave decreased during the period of the intervention compared to before the intervention.CONCLUSIONS: A leadership approach based on SOC combined with Lean philosophy can positively influence productivity and decrease the rate of sick leave.
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