Lean Six Sigma and social performance: A review and synthesis of current evidence

Abstract

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is one of the most widely used business improvement initiatives in both manufacturing and service organizations. For a modern organization to sustainably exist in society, the impact of business initiatives such as LSS should affect social dimensions. This study analyzes the impact of LSS on different dimensions of social performance. A systematic literature review was conducted using the method suggested by Tranfield, Denyer, and Smart (2003) to collect, analyze, and integrate previous literature to study the impact of LSS on social performance. The authors conducted a descriptive and thematic analysis of the literature. Their study determined that LSS has an impact on decent work, the health and well-being of society, public services and infrastructure, quality education for society, and climate action. In addition, the authors studied the various challenges related to the impact of LSS on social performance. This is the first systematic literature review that has focused on the impact of LSS on different dimensions of social performance.

Key words:

• Lean
• Lean Six Sigma
• Six Sigma
• social performance

Acknowledgement

We thank the anonymous reviewers for the constructive suggestions, which we believe have improved the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Sony

Michael Sony is a faculty member at Namibia University of Science & Technology, Windhoek, Namibia. He holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Goa University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Sony previously worked in the Goa Electricity Department, Government of Goa, India. His research interests include quality management, Industry 4.0, and sustainable operations.

Subhash Naik

Subhash Naik is a general manager in business excellence and asset optimization at Suzlon Energy Ltd. Pune. He holds a doctorate from Goa University. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in mechanical engineering, and he obtained his master’s degree in engineering with a super specialization in industrial engineering and operations research. He also completed his MBA in marketing. Naik has published various articles in international journals. He is a certified Master Black Belt in lean, Six Sigma, and LSS. He has been practicing asset optimization and business excellence for the last 10 years.

Jiju Antony

Jiju Antony is recognized worldwide as a leader in Lean Six Sigma methodology for achieving and sustaining process excellence. He is a professor of quality management in the Department of Business Management at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (UK), fellow of the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), fellow of the Institute of Operations Management (FIOM), Fellow of the American Society of Quality (FASQ), fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and a fellow of the Institute of the Six Sigma Professionals (ISSP). He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has trained more than 1200 people as Lean Six Sigma Yellow, Green, and Black Belts from over 20 countries representing more than 170 organizations in the last 10 years. He has a proven track record for conducting internationally leading research in the field of quality management and Lean Six Sigma. Antony has authored more than 375 journals, conference and white papers, and eight textbooks. He has published over 175 papers on Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma.