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Lean management in universities: a systematic literature review

Diana-Lucía Gómez-Molina (Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain)
José Moyano-Fuentes (Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain)

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma

ISSN: 2040-4166

Article publication date: 10 June 2021

Issue publication date: 28 January 2022

726

Abstract

Purpose

Implementing lean management (LM) provides universities with a variety of benefits and utilities. The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the existing literature on the implementation of LM in universities.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review is undertaken to identify, select and evaluate the literature. A total of 68 articles were identified in Web of Science and Scopus, analyzed and synthesized from the first article published on the topic (2003) to mid-2020.

Findings

Literature analysis and evaluation have enabled us to offer a novel literature classification based around four research lines that summarize the empirical evidence on LM implementation in universities, namely, lean applied to academic management processes; lean applied to administrative management processes; factors that facilitate lean implementation and results obtained with lean. Finally, the gaps and challenges for future research into LM in universities are presented.

Originality/value

This study provides a characterization of the research carried out into LM implementation in universities, which facilitates the work of both scholars wishing either to begin or to dig deeper into this sphere and university professionals and managers pursuing the best outcomes from LM.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Research Project PID2019-106577GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and University of Jaén Research Support Plan 2019-2020.

Citation

Gómez-Molina, D.-L. and Moyano-Fuentes, J. (2022), "Lean management in universities: a systematic literature review", International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 156-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-12-2020-0224

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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