Lean production and leadership attributes – the case of Hungarian production managers
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate leadership attributes that contribute to or inhibit the successful adaptation of lean techniques.
Design/methodology/approach
Using leadership attributes of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project, this paper develops an ideal leadership profile of a production manager who aims to develop a lean production system (based on Liker’s seminal work in 2004). Five hypotheses related to contributor and inhibitor leadership behaviors and their associated leadership attributes are analyzed using survey data based on a PLS model.
Findings
According to the results, the proposed conceptual leadership profile, in which leadership attributes are divided into two sets (contributors and inhibitors), required modification. The authors identified five distinct leadership behaviors (specific interrelated sets of leadership attributes). Two of the five leadership behaviors (communicative and micromanager) for production managers contributed to lean implementation. None of the leadership behaviors were inhibitors. Surprisingly, a theoretical inhibitor type of leadership behavior, namely micromanager, proved to be a contributor.
Practical implications
The results provide direct guidance for Hungarian managers with leadership behaviors that can contribute to the successful adaptation of lean techniques. However, managers must also consider that although these leadership behaviors may result in short-term gains, the micromanager leadership behavior can undermine the long-term sustainability of lean success and can hinder the development of a lean culture.
Originality/value
Leaders are frequently considered to be the key drivers of lean management. The empirical paper is unique because it analyzes the relationship among leadership behaviors, leadership attributes, and lean contexts.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The publication of the paper was supported by the TÁMOP 4.2.2. /B-10/1-2010-0023 project.
Citation
Gelei, A., Losonci, D. and Matyusz, Z. (2015), "Lean production and leadership attributes – the case of Hungarian production managers", Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 477-500. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-05-2013-0059
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited