Kaizen Sustainability and Operational Performance: a Case of Manufacturing Firms in Mombasa County

Abstract

KAIZEN (Japanese word for continuous improvement) is the use of various problemsolving tools for the identification and solution of work-based problems. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between kaizen sustainability and operational performance in Kenyan manufacturing firms. The specific objectives of this study being to determine the extent to which sustainability of kaizen improvement outcomes has contributed to operational Performance in Kenyan manufacturing firms and establish the challenges faced by Kenyan manufacturing firms in sustaining kaizen, in the context of the economic, social and cultural environment that they operate in. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from operations managers or their equivalents in 24 Kenyan manufacturing firms that are practicing kaizen. Descriptive statistics was used to evaluate the extent to which sustainability of kaizen improvement outcomes has contributed to operational Performance in Kenyan manufacturing firms and establish the challenges faced by Kenyan manufacturing firms in sustaining kaizen, in the context of the economic, social and cultural environment that they operate in. Individual operations performance measures were regressed against the set of kaizen practices to evaluate the relationship between the two. A regression model was used to evaluate the overall relationship between kaizen implementation and operations performance improvement. The results from the study shown that kaizen practices had varying degrees of sustainability in Kenyan manufacturing firms with the aspect of improved maintenance practices having the greatest extent of sustainability and aspect of lower inventory levels having the least extent of sustainability. On challenges faced in kaizen implementation, lack of management support, ineffective training and lack of proper communication about kaizen posed the greatest challenge whereas employees’ commitments and innovativeness, financial constraints posed the least challenge. Results from the regression analysis showed that sustainability of kaizen practices in Kenyan manufacturing firms is significantly related to operational performance. This study has provided insights into the extent of sustainability of kaizen in Kenyan manufacturing firms, and provides further evidence that kaizen sustainability is fundamental in adding value on operational performance