Experience of lean application in higher education institutions
International Journal of Lean Six Sigma
ISSN: 2040-4166
Article publication date: 22 June 2021
Issue publication date: 18 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the concept of Lean; however, the Lean concept in higher education institutions (HEIs) is still not very popular, and these institutions face challenges in implementing Lean activities. The purpose of this study is to identify worldwide experiences of Lean implementation in HEIs and to share best practices of Lean implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was conducted by surveying 34 Lean practitioners from HEIs.
Findings
This study outlined the importance of the complexity of the community and its processes as the main barrier for Lean implementation in the HEI. The study highlighted that Lean determined positive change in the institutions and that strong leadership, commitment of top management as well as good communication and teamwork were the keys to successful implementation of Lean.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides valuable insights and aspects of implementation and maintenance of Lean initiatives in HEIs around the world; however, a detailed analysis would require a larger number of respondents.
Practical implications
This study proposes that practitioners implementing Lean in HEIs should identify barriers, plan their activities and take into account success factors. According to the results of this study, managers of HEIs should deal with the main barrier – the complexity of the community and its processes. In addition, they should carry out employees’ and Lean facilitators’ training on Lean and ensure that the main success factors such as strong leadership practices, senior management’s commitment, good communication and teamwork are present.
Originality/value
This study adds to the existing knowledge on global experiences of applying Lean in HEIs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all Lean experts and practitioners who consented to participate in this study.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Funding: The authors received no funding related to this manuscript.
Citation
Simonyte, S., Adomaitiene, R. and Ruzele, D. (2022), "Experience of lean application in higher education institutions", International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 408-427. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-11-2020-0208
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited