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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizing practices of a Lakota Sun Dance, and to contribute to the literature on rituals and ceremonies in organizational culture.

The researcher acted as participant-as-observer during this extended ceremony. Fieldnotes capturing observations and informal interviews with Lakota elders were the source of data as recording devices were not permitted on the Sun Dance grounds. Observations were conducted for approximately 45 hours over the course of five days.

The Lakota Sun Dance can be understood through organizational theory, particularly through a unique integration of the concepts of agency, loosely coupled systems, and just-in-time organizing. The current research highlights the role of agency in organizational ceremonies.

This research offers a thick description of the organizing practices of an extended Lakota ceremony. The integration of traditional Lakota organizing principles with modern organizational theory is absent from the literature, and offers a unique perspective on organizing from a non-Western perspective.

Information systems are examined with respect to how they can develop in an integrated way. Steve Ashman describes typical company systems, potential integration routes and shows how international Just‐In‐Time (JIT) links are being achieved using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The advantages of such systems are stressed in terms of the real benefits which have been experienced.

Successive reorganization of production of work in the French car industry has led to a particular productive matrix. This productive matrix is very effective and has made gains of between 5 and 12% per year possible. The components of the matrix are tight flow, teamwork and competencies model and integration of production in the outspread firm. The matrix can be understood as a subsection of the post-Fordist model of capital accumulation. The question is put whether this matrix can overcome the contradictions between workers and employers and keep the French car manufacturers in profit over the long term.

Considerable effort is needed to design the software and the material‐flow system to meet the needs of manufacturing which is driven by customer demand. Top management initiative and support is required throughout. Here, Prof. Dr. Sankaran describes the concept developed by Siemens in two major projects.

A simulation model developed to study the performance of a JIT production planning system with respect to the reduction of inventory costs and customer delivery intervals is described by Cagatay Buyukkoc and Kiran M Rege of AT & T Bell Laboratories, USA.

This paper presents the results of a panel of experts, made up of academics in the field of operations and supply chain management, enterprise requirement planning software developers, and end‐users, whose work has aimed at defining the main features that characterize an enterprise modeller for the fashion industry. The characteristics required by the enterprise requirement planning enterprise modeller have been identified, with specific attention to the production planning and control module. Because of the peculiarities of this line of business, it is widely recognized that both vendors and buyers would benefit from such a tool. For the formers, the availability of a pre‐customized reference model would represent a competitive advantage in the marketplace, for the latter, on the other hand, it would enhance the effectiveness, the efficiency and the likelihood of success of the enterprise requirement planning implementation project.

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the concept of lean in the world of virtual leadership by continuously engaging employees and building efficient teams to increase the effectiveness of digital workplaces.

Secondary research from various research articles by authors in lean and leadership was done.

Lean leadership can serve as a great way to boost employee morale and enrich their experience in times of global crisis. Employees can effectively contribute to the organization with the help of virtual lean teams and tools.

This paper adds to the scarce literature on the integration of lean and leadership by exploring the various ways in which employees can be empowered to achieve organizational goals in the virtual workplace.

The paper aims to provide managerial recommendations for implementing circular economy (CE) principles in both organizational and interorganizational contexts, including when using digital tools, such as building information modeling (BIM) and blockchain. Drawn from the construction sector in the Netherlands, the findings can be generalized to similar sectors where a company may receive multiple inputs as part of its supply chain augmented by digital technologies.

Design addresses the research question: what are the strategic and tactical approaches of organizations on the CE pathway? Sub-questions target initiatives pursued by participants, and look toward information, roles and functions for supporting the CE process. Applying a multiple-case study approach (21 semi-structured interviews with 29 participants) the paper explores strategic initiatives of construction companies implementing CE pathways. The strength of the research design comes from facilitation of rich and deep qualitative insights from Netherlands-based managers embedded within global supply chains contributing to conceptual mapping. A limitation is data from one country (though representing both national and multinational companies).

Interviewed managers share guidance for production-related construction companies anchored in materials and product design. Recommendations include to (1) develop both internally and externally the awareness of CE amongst leaders, (2) communicate with internal and external stakeholders for shared vision across the supply chain, (3) start with pilot projects, and (4) ensure product data-integration for CE business models through computer modeling and blockchain for decision-making processes, choices of materials, business model coordination and product (re)design. Continuous learning about CE roles and responsibilities amidst organizational process restructuring is required throughout linear to CE transitions. Extending the time for the CE principles evaluation process would allow for reconsideration of decisions made for CE implemented projects.

A novel CE gameplan with a hurdles and recommendations checklist provides an operational interface with decision making points between internal factors for the host organization and external supply chain partners.

Manufacturing companies are facing up to the challenge of reducing lead‐time and in‐process stocks, and increasing flexibility. Kanban methods are being seen as an essential tool in meeting the challenge. Francis Peyronnet, manager of Kanban and Production Control for Bendix Electronics, France, outlines the steps required for implementing Kanban links between several production workshops.