Evaluating employee responses to the lean enterprise system at a manufacturing company in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

There is usually much reaction amongst employees when a new system is introduced in an organization. These changes are intended to improve performance but sometimes cause considerable controversy amongst the employees and management. This study examines the implementation of LE and it attempts to analyse the reactions of employees in a manufacturing company in South Africa—GKN Sinter Metals (GKN), Cape Town. The LE method is designed to achieve business excellence. Specifically, it targets production excellence in order to identify and remove waste and sustain continuous improvements in the production processes and associated activities. At GKN, the LE method was introduced because of its popularity and success in Japan and elsewhere in the world with improving production processes. The literature states that if LE is implemented, then operational performance will improve. According to the literature review, the implementation of the LE can play a significant role in improving company’s performance. Some of the questions that were asked in the research include the following: What benefits did employees perceive by the introduction of LE? How did employees respond to the implementation of the LE at GKN (in other words, did they welcome it or not)?