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The study aims to explore how lean research and development (R&D) tools and techniques (T&T: i.e. R&D hard practices) affect the relationship between lean R&D soft practices and organization performance within R&D-based manufacturing firms in Malaysia.

The current study is a quantitative study that utilized an online survey questionnaire for data collection. Data were collected based on a cross-sectional survey of R&D managers from 102 R&D-based manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the impact of lean R&D soft and hard practices on firms' performance.

As per the study findings, it was determined that T&T of lean R&D was significant mediator in the relationship between lean R&D soft practices (i.e. managerial practices, transformational leadership, financial capability and supplier involvement) and R&D firms' performance.

The study delivers an important message to R&D companies that lean practices could be applied in R&D environments to drive organization performance.

The study extends the knowledge regarding lean principles and framework beyond the domains of production and services. The study offers new conceptual contribution in term of lean principles and framework in R&D environments by introducing the role of lean R&D tools and technique to enhance the effects of lean R&D practices on organization performance.

This paper aims to present a lean management approach to reduce waste generated by overproduction within a global supply chain setting. Statistics register a considerable increase in inventories which has increased waste because of the overproduction/oversupply throughout the global supply chain, and there has been insufficient research targeting on it.

This study develops a conceptual approach based on the practices of Toyota Production System (TPS). The analysis is performed on four segments of a business: “R&D”, “Production”, “Logistics” and “Service/retailers”. The proposed approach adopts the pull-based lean management system by two modules, “Intra-lean management” and “Inter-lean management”.

A case study is conducted to demonstrate how the proposed approach can be used in a real situation. The ideas and benefits of the proposed approach are also discussed.

The proposed solution can be applied in manufacturing and service industries, as well as in industries where production and R&D are interconnected.

The paper provides a conceptual approach that explains how intra- and inter-lean management can be effectively integrated to achieve a smooth flow in the business. This paper innovates in developing a pull-based driven flow relationship among the four segments of a business, as a response to the lack of integration among them and the increase of inventory in the hands of businesses.

According to the literature, on an average, it takes around three to four years to develop a new product and about 50 percent of the costs incurred in product development (PD) tend to be spent on waste that occurs during the PD process. Hence, organizations are implementing various alternative methodologies such as Concurrent Engineering (CE), Lean Product Development (LPD)/Lean New Product Development (LNPD), and Agile Product Development (APD)/Agile New Product Development (ANPD) to improve their existing PD process. However, it is not clear: how does an organisation or a PD manager choose between these alternative methodologies for improving their PD process?

Since the above‐mentioned problem requires multiple factors/criteria/elements (in short, it will be called as “attributes” for the sake of simplicity) to be considered simultaneously; the use of a Multi‐Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model is warranted. The most commonly used MADM model, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is utilized to model the above problem using a hypothetical case situation.

In this paper, the different attributes that are to be considered while making a decision of selecting a suitable PD methodology were identified. Furthermore, the results of AHP indicated that LPD is a better alternative for the case situation under consideration.

According to the authors' knowledge, no paper exists in the literature of AHP or PD or LPD/LNPD that discusses the application of AHP for the selection of a product development methodology, especially for making a strategic decision in a product design and development department of an organisation.

In recent times, many organizations have attempted to implement or have already implemented lean manufacturing (LM). Some companies have implemented a few tools/techniques/practices/procedures (i.e. “elements” in short) of LM, while others have implemented a whole spectrum of LM elements. Under such circumstances, it becomes very difficult to gauge which organization has really embraced the lean philosophy and where it stands in comparison with other LM organizations. This paper seeks to determine the current status of benchmarking in the field of LM.

A case study, demonstrating the application of a benchmarking (BM) process is presented.

This research lists out the elements and performance measures of LM apart from highlighting the gaps in terms of performance and practices between the two organizations.

The limitations of this study are that only a preliminary BM study was carried out instead of a complete study. Similarly, not all the steps of the BM process proposed could be validated.

The conceptual BM process model proposed in our earlier study has been validated using a case study. Hence, it is believed that managers will be able to apply BM in assessing the LM implementation in their organization.

Though a few papers relating BM and LM/just‐in‐time are available in the literature, none has utilized a structured BM process. However, this paper has demonstrated the same, thereby adding value to the existing body of knowledge on LM and BM.

Presents the findings of a study which investigated the adoption of lean production methods in Australian manufacturing industry. Data were gathered through a telephone survey from 51 companies representing a range of industry sectors. The study found that a large majority of the companies were practising lean production methods. Discusses the organizational changes which had occurred in the organizations as a result of the introduction of lean production. Discusses the change drivers of the lean production programme, benefits achieved, difficulties experienced and future trends.

Lean manufacturing (LM) constitutes a consolidated alternative that has been successfully used to increase company effectiveness and performance. However, different studies have shown that many companies that attempt to integrate LM into their manufacturing operations fail in their efforts. Recent studies have shown that soft practices are a key factor for a successful LM implementation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze an in-depth review of the different human-related lean practices (HRLP) referenced in the recent literature and to identify which of them are more relevant to a successful LM implementation.

The findings presented in this paper are based on the results of a study about the situation of LM in Spain carried out with lean production managers and frontline supervisors of 202 Spanish companies with a high percent (74 percent) of international firms with factories in different countries. The implemented methodology uses factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

The results shows statistical evidence of the relationship between management’s HRLP (fostering a lean culture, providing support to lean), employees’ HRLP (employee involvement and employee empowerment) and operational performance (OP) (waste reduction and flexibility).

The results have academic and practical relevance for clarifying lean phenomena, helping managers to define a sequence in which a company should implement HRLP to successfully implement LM and increase its OP.

This study fills a research gap by exploring the existing causal relationships between a greater number of variables, both dependent and independent in relation to human factors in LM implementations.

The customer order decoupling point (CODP) concept addresses the issue of customer engagement in the manufacturing process. This has traditionally been applied to material flows, but has more recently been applied to engineering activities. This later subject becomes of particular importance to companies operating in “engineer-to-order” (ETO) supply chains, where each order is potentially unique. Existing conceptualisations of ETO are too generic for practical purposes, so there is a need to better understand order penetration in the context of engineering activities, especially design. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to address the question “how do customer penetration concepts apply to engineering design activities?”

A collaborative form of inquiry is adopted, whereby academics and practitioners co-operated to develop a conceptual framework. Within this overarching research design, a focus group of senior practitioners and multiple case studies principally from complex civil and structural engineering as well as scientific equipment projects are used to explore the framework.

The framework results in a classification of nine potential engineering subclasses, and insight is given into order penetration points, major uncertainties and enablers via the case studies. Focus group findings indicate that different managerial approaches are needed across subclasses.

The findings give insight for companies that engage directly with customers on a one-to-one basis, outlining the extent of customer penetration in engineering activities, associated operational strategies and choices regarding the co-creation of products with customers. Care should be taken in generalising beyond the sectors addressed in the study.

The paper refines the definition of the ETO concept, and gives a more complete understanding of customer penetration concepts. It provides a comprehensive reconceptualization of the ETO category, supported by exploratory empirical research.

This study aims to examine the possible factors affecting Malaysians’ intention to adopt new technology such as home health-care robots (HHRs) based on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. The variable price, awareness and alternative attractiveness were added since HHRs is a new technology in Malaysia.

This study collected the self-administered questionnaire from 316 respondents who are currently taking care of elderly or disabled people at home. The UTAUT variables, price and awareness were the predictors, and the intention to adopt HHRs was the independent variable, with alternative attractiveness as the moderator. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for analysis of the measurement model and the structural model of this study.

The results show that performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, price and awareness significantly and positively affect Malaysians’ intention to adopt HHRs. Alternative attractiveness moderates the relationship between price and intention to adopt HHRs.

The findings provide insights to marketers, managers and policymakers in identifying the right strategies to promote HHRs and thus, solving the problem of scarcity in caretakers for elderly and disabled people.

This study adds value to the current literature by integrating price and awareness constructs with the UTAUT model. This study also examines the moderating effect of alternative attractiveness on the intention to adopt HHRs, which is still limited but significant for developing nations.

Reasonable remuneration of employee inventions is a controversial issue causing court litigations among employees and employers in many countries. The paper aims to shed light on the missing economic interpretation of the reasonable remuneration of employee inventions. Specifically, it focuses on the concept of “reasonability” at the issue.

In an empirical qualitative multiple case-study setting, the paper explores inductively Czech corporate employee inventors' remuneration systems, using typological analysis and M. Weber's interpretative theoretical construct of “ideal type.”

At the first level, reasonability is a function of multi-amount rewarding, a certain level of total remuneration and identifiable benefits being a decisive factor. Additionally, the reasonability is conceptualised as a function of two dimensions – timing/risk and benefit–reward relation. At the second level, the reasonability is interpreted as a concept balancing seven points of view: timing, materiality, equity, risk management, transparency, system costs and exactness. At the third level, the paper offers an optimal remuneration system like the one that optimises developed seven-criterion framework.

Even if analysed within one-country and nine-company context, the insights are generalisable across a broader sample of countries with statutory rules for employee inventions. Studying more cases may enrich the findings. The findings are based merely on a rational perspective and do not deal with psychological aspects of employees.

The results may be helpful for intellectual property or R&D managers in building or reorganising employee invention remuneration systems within corporations. The developed seven-criteria model can serve as a discussion framework; the suggested optimal system as a reference point. The results may serve as well to consultants, judges or other parties involved in currently growing employee–employer controversies and litigations. The analysis may fuel public policy decisions, too.

The paper brings unique and detailed empirical insights into the issue of employee inventions. It offers a complex multi-perspective (employee/employer) framework through which the reasonability can be discussed and suggests an optimal system, which can serve as a reference point.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss health services managers’ experiences of management in a special health-care unit and development efforts from the point of view of the Lean method. Additionally, the aim is to deepen the knowledge of the managers’ work and nature of the Lean method development processes in the workplace. The research focuses on those aspects and results of Lean method that are currently being used in health-care environments.

These data were collected through a number of thematic interviews. The participants were nurse managers (n = 7) and medical managers (n = 7) who applied Lean management in their work at the University Hospital in the Northern Ostrobothnia Health Care District. The data were analysed with a qualitative content analysis.

A common set of values in specialized health-care services, development of activities and challenges for management in the use of the Lean manager development model to improve personal management skills.

Managers in specialized health-care services can develop and systematically manage with the help of the Lean method. This emphasizes assumptions, from the point of view of management, about systems development when the organization uses the Lean method. The research outcomes originate from specialized health-care settings in Finland in which the Lean method and its associated management principles have been implemented and applied to the delivery of health care.

The study shows that the research results and in-depth knowledge on Lean method principles can be applied to health-care management and development processes. The research also describes health services managers’ experiences of using the Lean method. In the future, these results can be used to improve Lean management skills, identify personal professional competencies and develop skills required in development processes. Also, the research findings can be used in the training of health services managers in the health-care industry worldwide and to help them survive the pressure to change repeatedly.