Critical thinking and continuous improvement: a scientific text mining approach

Abstract

This work aims to propose and argue a new antecedent (critical thinking: CT) of the hard and soft dimensions of continuous improvement (CI) using a text mining perspective. The study employs a proposed methodological framework for scientific text mining (nine steps). The sample consists of 2,213 abstracts of articles that address the interest constructs in this study from the title. Three types of variables are used: investigation, reference, and control. The article presents theoretical and empirical evidence for an original model conformed by six propositions that relate CT, CI, dynamic capabilities that potentiate CI, and the context (academic, business), which place CT as a trigger for CI. The contrast of this model provides useful inputs for teachers, researchers, professionals, students, and leaders so that they can better motivate and argue the need to strengthen CT when CI is taught and applied (classically limited to the use of tools). This article provides two contributions. The first is related to the effect of CT on the development (process and result) of CI. The second consists of providing a framework to contrast structural hypotheses from a scientific text mining approach.

Keywords:

• continuous improvement
• critical thinking
• dynamic capabilities
• text mining

Disclosure statement

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

Supplemental material

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2020.1787824.