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Purpose-Recently, the operations management academic literature has seen articles focusing on the transfer of "lean" thinking or kaizen concept from the private to the public sector. In Spain, during the last 15 years, some local councils have also followed similar improvement initiatives sometimes under the umbrella of "global quality programmes" trying to support continuous process and service improvement. The research question for this article is: How is lean-kaizen applied in local councils in Spain? The aim is to shed light on how lean thinking is applied in order to improve those services provided to the public by local councils by describing empirical studies in specific Spanish contexts. Design/methodology/approach-The case study approach was adopted in this research. The research design conducted was of the longitudinal and retrospective type. Findings-The results of the empirical evidence show that three techniques related to lean-kaizen have a direct effect on the processes and management systems in local councils. The three techniques are: 5S, gemba kaizen workshops and process mapping. These techniques improved the processes and quality of public services provided by the councils. These results suggest the first indications of documented lean-kaizen public service. Originality/value-A review of the academic literature of lean thinking and kaizen concept indicates that the managerial application of the techniques in the public sector are few and far between and have been barely explored at the empirical level. The paper makes a contribution to the deeper understanding of the usefulness of applying lean-kaizen in local government in order to improve the processes and services provided to the public-the emergence of lean-kaizen public service.

Purpose Literature refers to the key factors of total quality management (TQM) based on studies carried out in individual countries. However, few studies focus on studying the TQM factors in service companies based on multinational data. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the key TQM factors and their impact on internal and external customer performance measures across different countries. Design/methodology/approach The research questions regarding the TQM factors and their effects were examined using a sample of service organisations from three countries (131 from Greece, 70 from Mexico and 151 from Spain). TQM factors and their impact on employee and customer satisfaction were analysed separately for each country. Exploratory factor analyses, coupled with multiple linear regression analyses, were conducted. Findings The key TQM factors identified are common among the three participating countries and can be summarised as follows: quality practices of top management, process management, employee quality management, customer focus, and employee knowledge and education. The adoption level of these five key factors of TQM varies across service organisations in different countries. The results also confirmed that some of the TQM elements are antecedents of customer- and employee-focused performance. Practical implications Multinational service organisations may use such an instrument to evaluate TQM implementation among worldwide operations and then benchmark their performance. In addition, an understanding of similarities and differences among countries would help managers around the world to address difficulties of TQM implementation related to the country culture. Originality/value Previous studies have compared key TQM factors across different countries in manufacturing, but overall, there has been a little attempt in the literature to analyse the adoption of TQM factors among service firms, as well the relationships between quality improvement and performance across different geographical regions.

PurposeSince Masaaki Imai coined the term Kaizen in the mid 1980s it has been regarded as a key element in the competitiveness of Japanese companies. However, even though Kaizen was defined by the author who created the term, writings by scholars and practitioners in the field exhibit a certain degree of ambiguity and inconsistency. Finally, there is a clear need to develop this theory in the field of operations management. The purpose of this paper is to analyse Kaizen in the academic and practitioner literature, in order to better understand it and further explore and contribute to its potential theoretical profile.Design/methodology/approachA literature review was carried out using Kaizen as a search term. Various databases were used for this purpose and books written by both scholars and by practitioners on the subject were also consulted. The literature concerning Kaizen was methodically analysed and categorised.FindingsThe findings of the study indicate that Kaizen is presently displayed under three perspectives or umbrellas, which include a series of principles and techniques. By comparing the three perspectives, a set of guiding principles and/or cornerstones for Kaizen have also emerged.Research limitations/implicationsAnalysis and classification is based on the literature that has been found and reviewed, along with the knowledge of authors on the subject, and may include other features as well as other angles of analysis.Practical implicationsThe Kaizen literature review is very limited. In writing this paper a considerable number of articles and research related to Kaizen has been reviewed. This review resulted in an initial classification of Kaizen (three umbrellas) and four major topics, which may prove useful for managers or executives who are introducing or developing Kaizen in their organizations.Originality/valueAs far as the authors are aware, this is one of the first papers that proposes a literature review in an attempt to clarify Kaizen, both in academic and practitioner ambits.

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Purpose -Over the last decade, some Mexican public organisations have begun to enter into a dynamic in which issues such as service quality, ongoing improvement, and internal and external customer orientation are becoming essential to their day-to-day management. The purpose of this paper is to present a successful example of how Lean-Kaizen is implemented in the human resource service process of a Mexican public service organisation. Design/methodology/approach -The research method adopted is the case study. Research is carried out in a Mexican public service organisation, and adopts a retrospective focus. Four methods are used to gather data: direct observation; participative observation; documentary analysis; and semi-structured interviews. Findings -The Lean-Kaizen approach helps this public service organisation to improve cycle times in the human resource selection and hiring process. Various enablers and inhibitors are also identified during implementation. Research limitations/implications -Research is based on a single case study. However, rather than seeking empirical generalisation, it tries to examine how the Lean-Kaizen approach can be successfully implemented in a service process. Practical implications -The research is effectively a guide for practitioners (public managers) wishing to apply or already applying Lean-Kaizen in their service processes. Originality/value -A review of academic and practitioner literature on the subject indicated that implementation of the Lean-Kaizen approach has hardly begun to be explored. It is also significant that in Mexico and Latin America, examples of the transfer and implementation of this kind of approach are practically non-existent in academic literature on the subject.

Purpose Muda is a Japanese term literally meaning futility, uselessness, idleness, superfluity, waste, wastage or wastefulness. The term was introduced by the Japanese engineer Taiichi Ohno of Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1960s. Therefore, reducing and minimizing Muda is an effective way to increase the operational efficiency and productivity of an organization’s processes. In turn, the technique known as the affinity or TKJ diagram represents a practical way of sorting data or ideas into groups classified by common patterns; it can be regarded as one of the new seven tools of quality. The purpose of this paper is to discover Muda by applying the affinity or TKJ diagram in Mexican organizations. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Using theoretical sampling, the authors identified and analyzed data from a kaizen training course. Each course workshop was organized by the Universidad de las Americas Puebla and consulting firm “Mi Empresa”, and given to employees of various organizations in various sectors over three years from January 2012 to January 2015. Findings The research provided the first evidence of Muda in Mexican organizations. The Muda of Ohno’s classification was confirmed, but new common patterns of Muda in twenty-first-century organizations also arose. Furthermore, the TKJ diagram proved to be an effective tool of quality to detect it. Research limitations/implications This paper has the same limitations as all other qualitative research, including analysis subjectivity and questionable generalization of findings. It is also important to highlight the seven KJ diagrams, a seemingly abundant figure. However, it is a small sample for the number of companies and processes to be found in Mexico. Practical implications This paper may prove to be valuable for practitioners and managers involved in the operations and continuous improvement fields. Getting to know Muda in organizations is of great importance for continuously improving organizational processes. This classification will allow greater insight and easier detection. Originality/value The study contributes to the limited existing literature on total quality management, lean thinking and kaizen, and subsequently disseminates this information to provide impetus, guidance and support toward improving the quality of organizational processes.