Employee's performance and Kaizen events' success: does supervisor behaviour play a moderating role?

Abstract

PurposeThe study's goal was to identify the factors contributing to the practical completion of Kaizen events (KEs). The effect of the work-study man's characteristics, the supervisor's conduct and the autonomy of the Kaizen team are analysed in this study.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 249 respondents working in the manufacturing sector in India, mainly those who had been involved in Kaizen projects. Three-step procedures, namely, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares, have been applied to test the research hypotheses through structural equational modelling.FindingsThe exploratory factor analysis extracted in-role performance, creative performance and human aspect as latent variables explaining work-study man's performance (eigenvalue = 1). The study's findings indicate that the performance of work-study man (in-role, creative and human) and supervisors' conduct is directly related to the success of KEs. It was shown that supervisors might influence the outcomes of KEs only by moderating the human aspects. Additionally, the degree of autonomy of the Kaizen team was found having a significant positive relationship with the success of KEs.Practical implicationsThe current study suggests that in-role and creative performance are prime assets of a work-study man. At the same time, the human aspect is a delicate issue that can affect the supervisor's behaviour. Therefore, the study implies that work-study men have the tactics and abilities to work with other co-workers to make a Kaizen project successful.Originality/valueAlthough the significance of Kaizen projects has been widely emphasised, past research has failed to establish what factors contribute to the success of Kaizen efforts. Similarly, the supervisor's critical role has been highlighted several times. However, it is unclear how their conduct influences the relationship between work-study man's performance and the effectiveness of Kaizen projects. This study contributes significantly to organisational culture and human resource management by answering these questions.

Fueling big data analytics for project success: Mediating role of knowledge sharing and innovation performance

“…The findings demonstrate BDA's positive and significant indirect effect on PS through knowledge sharing (H4), suggesting that BDA significantly influences how KS can enhance PS within IT organizations (Bag et al, 2020). These results align with the RBV and the DCT, as knowledge sharing relies on using BDA to improve PS and gain a competitive advantage (Constantiou and Kallinikos, 2015;Kharub et al, 2023).…”

“…These findings support the DCT, suggesting that business capabilities, such as knowledge exchange, enable organizations to effectively communicate information related to technological changes in their products, thereby increasing the likelihood of project success (Behl et al, 2023). Employees who actively share their expertise with colleagues have more significant opportunities for innovation and increased productivity, thus contributing to achieving project objectives within the set timeline (Kharub et al, 2023).…”

“…Supporting literature (H1) BDA > PS Supported (Jugdev et al, 2013;Lu and Ram, 2011;O'Driscoll, 2014) (H2) BDA > KS Supported (Alavi et al, 2006;Gasik, 2011;Gold et al, 2001) (H3) KS > PS Supported (Behl et al, 2023;Kharub et al, 2023) (H5) BDA > IPF Supported (Lehrer et al, 2018;Y. Wang and Hajli, 2017) (H6) IPF > PS Supported (Ruoslahti, 2020;Shenhar and Dvir, 2013) (H4) BDA > KS > PS Supported (Bag et al, 2020;Kharub et al, 2023) (H7) BDA > IPF > PS Supported (Jeble et al, 2018;Taguimdje et al, 2020)…”

“…The literature indicates that BDA can influence KS (Constantiou and Kallinikos, 2015) and contribute to PS (Kharub et al, 2023). Based on this premise, the following hypothesis is proposed: H4: KS mediates the relationship between BDA and PS.…”

“…Business capabilities, such as knowledge sharing, enable companies to communicate information related to changes in focal product technologies, ultimately enhancing organizational performance and increasing the likelihood of PS (Behl et al, 2023). Employees who engage in knowledge exchange with their colleagues have more opportunities for innovation and increased productivity, thereby contributing to successful project completion within scheduled goals (Kharub et al, 2023). KS could serve as a vital mediator between BDA and PS.…”