Exploring the socio-technical interactions associated with lean implementation: a systematic literature review

Interest in managing Lean implementation using a socio-technical system (STS) approach is growing in operations management. However, current research has been disorganised and fragmented, focusing on isolated social or technical domains, thus neglecting a system-wide understanding of socio-technical interactions associated with Lean implementation. To establish a future research agenda, this paper provides a systematic literature review on the crossroads of social and technical domains associated with Lean implementation. A descriptive and bibliometric analysis of 54 articles was conducted to identify research trends, while content analysis was employed to identify social and technical variables, theories, and research design used in empirical studies. The findings articulate an evidence-based roadmap for scholars studying socio-technical interactions of Lean implementation. The results suggest five research paths: advancing research context and design, investigating antecedents, integrating multiple theories, examining the interplays among social and technical variables and their outcomes, and incorporating subjective and objective data collection methods.