Unlocking Lean's Hidden Power: Sociotechnical Synergy

This research argues that Lean management is a complex sociotechnical phenomenon, but existing research has largely examined its social ("soft") and technical ("hard") subsystems in isolation. The authors address this gap by employing a sociotechnical system (STS) theoretical lens and process theorising to examine the dynamic interaction between these subsystems at individual, group, and organisational levels. The core argument is that a balanced interplay between the social and technical subsystems is crucial for effectively managing inherent tensions within Lean and achieving sustained performance gains.

Main Themes:

• The Underexplored Interaction between Social and Technical Subsystems: Existing literature has primarily focused on the technical aspects of Lean, neglecting the dynamic and mutual ...