Mid Sweden University

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the results from a survey concerning first-line managers’ assuredness about the effects of Lean after two years of Lean application in a Swedish healthcare organization. The purpose is also to reflect about assuredness as a driving force for sustainable change.

Methodology/Approach: Questionnaires were sent to all first-line managers in a healthcare organization in order to investigate how these managers consider their role, ability and conditions to create change according to Lean. The questionnaire included a question with 16 statements about how assured these managers were about the effects of Lean that will be presented in this paper. 

Findings: The study showed that the majority of the first-line managers in this particular healthcare organization were assured that developmental work supported by Lean contributes to a higher patient focus, supports first-line managers with useful tools and methods, contributes to the development of an improvement culture and that the Lean concept in general is a support in improvement work.

Practical implications: The question can either be used separately or as a part of an entire questionnaire in healthcare organizations. Asking first-line managers about their assuredness about the effects of Lean on a regular basis is one way suggested to follow the Lean process from their perspective. The survey question might encourage discussions about the process of Lean and hopefully contribute to a greater understanding about the importance of assuredness and about the desired effects when applying Lean.

Category: Case study