Lean daily management in healthcare: origins, practices, and associations with lean leadership and lean sustainability

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates daily management (DM), a common phenomenon in healthcare and other organisations that embrace lean philosophy. Although some sources consider DM a critical component in Lean, as a research topic DM has received scant attention. This paper gives an overview of DM – its origins and components – and reviews the literature to explore DM practices in healthcare. It also investigates associations between DM and ‘lean leadership’ (LL), and between DM and the sustainability of Lean. The premise for the study is that DM is a critical component of Lean, more fundamental to lean practice and philosophy than has been acknowledged by scholars. The findings of the study reveal substantial commonality in the DM practices of lean healthcare organizations. They also indicate an association between DM practices with concepts and behaviors associated with LL, and an association between DM practices and critical factors for lean sustainability and long-term success. An implication of the findings is that DM, though formerly overlooked in research, is a critical component to lean success and sustainability. The paper contributes to the literature on Lean by expanding an area somewhat ignored by scholars and offers practical implications and research opportunities for managers and scholars.