Organisational culture in lean construction: managing paradoxes and dilemmas

Abstract

This study investigates how the effective management of cultural paradoxes and dilemmas can support lean implementation in a service organisation. We have conducted an in-depth single case study employing the paradox theory as a theoretical lens. The findings offer a dynamic analysis of how organisational culture (OC) influences lean implementation, and in turn, how lean implementation directly impacts the OC. The study shows that in order to achieve a successful lean implementation, the organisation must reshape the OC by identifying when to manage cultural tensions as dilemmas or as paradoxes. We also discuss the existing defensive mechanisms (sources of resistance) and managerial actions taken to manage those tensions and resistances. Besides contributing to the lean literature, this study contributes to the operations management field more broadly by highlighting the need to replace the long tradition of the trade-off perspective by a more embracing perspective that accepts the co-existence of dilemmas (either-or choices) and paradoxes (balancing opposed goals). The practical implications rely on the identification of lean practices that counterbalance specific cultural traits, offering recommendations to managers dealing with the cultural clashes inherent to a lean implementation.

Keywords:

• Lean
• organisational culture
• paradox theory
• cultural tensions
• construction sector

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CNPq – a Brazilian Governmental Institution.

Notes on contributors

Alice Erthal

Dr. Alice Erthal holds a PhD degree in Business Administration, focussed on Organizational Culture and Lean Management, from Coppead Graduate School of Business, Brazil, with a research program conducted at Florida International University (E.U.). With a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from UFF – a Brazilian Federal University, Alice also gathers more than fifteen years of experience as manager, consultant and coach in different industries from public, private and third sectors. Works as guest professor in graduate schools in Brazil and as a guest lecturer at European Universities , as well as at in company training programs. Her research has been published in high-impact international journals and she serves as a reviewer for journals such as Production Planning and Control, International Journal of Production Economics, and others. Alice is a GRI certified trainer, also certified as Professional Coach (Behavioural Coaching Institute and Action Learning Coaching), with additional certification in Business Process Management (BPTrends). Her fields of work include Organizational Culture, Leadership, Change Management, Coaching, Organizational Behaviour, Transparency and Sustainability, Lean Management, Operations and Supply Chain Management.

Leonardo Marques

Dr. Leonardo Marques is an Assistant Professor and the Coordinator of the Transparency & Sustainability Network at Coppead Graduate School of Business, Brazil. Leonardo has 20 years of professional experience and he holds a PhD from the University of Manchester. His research is focussed on transparency and sustainability in supply networks and has been published in the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Production Planning & Control, Benchmarking: An International Journal, and the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Measurement. He serves at the Editorial Review Board of the International Journal of Operations & Production Management and at the IPSERA Executive Committee. He is also an ad hoc reviewer for ten international journals. He has been awarded the prestigious FAPERJ Rio de Janeiro State Young Scientist for 2019–2021.