Paradoxical and Dynamic Performance of Lean Practices: Problem Solving, Temporality, and Teams

The complexity, pace, and volatility of present-day work demands more dynamic organizational management systems. More recent management systems, e.g., agile or design thinking, have not proven to be the “silver bullet” to improved dynamic capabilities in part due to the paradoxical nature of multi-faceted organizational outcomes (e.g., people v. profit, quality v. innovation). Thus, scholars seek to examine the underlying principles and theories of management approaches, regardless of origin or age. Our proposed presentation symposium combines historical and futuristic perspective to examine 21st century lean practices through the lenses of temporality, centrality of work teams, and problem solving. The use of lean management approaches shifted significantly since 2000, from primary use in manufacturing settings to achieve efficiency, to extensive use knowledge-based settings, including hospitals and R&D, to achieve improved efficiency, quality, and innovation. This symposium includes three presentations and a discussion from internationally renowned scholars that collectively highlight temporality, centrality of work teams, and problem solving as critical lenses through which to study and improve management systems. Building upon a pluralistic approach, this symposium will take a significant step in advancing knowledge and provoking new directions for future research on team-oriented management systems. Managing Through a Pandemic: A Daily Management System for COVID-19 Response and Recovery Author: Dorothy Hung; U. of California, Berkeley Author: Thomas Rundall; U. of California, Berkeley Author: Justin Lee; U. of California, Berkeley Author: Negeen Khandel; U. of California, Berkeley Author: Stephen M. Shortell; U. of California, Berkeley Factors for Kaizen Event Success in Hospitals Author: Kimberly Harry; Virginia Tech Author: Wiljeana Jackson Glover; Babson College The paradox of Lean Management and Innovation climates: Problem-Solving as a potential moderator Author: Tal Katz-Navon; Arison School of Business, Reichman U. (IDC), Israel Author: Eitan Naveh; Technion Israel Institute of Technology Author: Noa Ebenstein-Ziv; Technion – Israel Institute of Technology