Amunzu, I C (2020) A qualitative case study of construction managers’ understanding of lean thinking. PhD thesis, Grand Canyon University, USA.
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how highway construction managers describe their understanding of lean thinking in the material selection, quality, and completion time of a project in the Northeast United States. The Japanese Toyota production system (TPS) security framework established by Taiichi Ohno provided the conceptual framework for this study. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to select 15 construction managers to participate in the study. Data were collected through open-ended, semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, and asynchronous discussions through e-mails. Both inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to analyze all the data gathered in the study. The following seven major themes emerged from the data relating to how highway construction managers describe their understanding of lean thinking in the material selection, quality, and the completion time of a project: (1) eradicating waste and improving efficiencies, (2) organizational change, (3) hazard and risk management, (4) value-based approach, (5) sustainability, (6) time and project management, and (7) maximizing profit and controlling inventory. The results indicated how construction managers describe their understanding of lean thinking in the material selection, quality, and the completion time of a project, and these could be understood through a combination of lean thinking concepts including continuous improvement 5s, and visual management.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Nicholson, B |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | continuous improvement; organizational change; security; sustainability; highway; inventory; e-mail; risk management; Japan; United States; thematic analysis; case study; interview |
| Index terms: | production system, thematic analysis, highway construction, interview, case study, project management, organizational change, visual management, e-mail, manager, efficiency, face, risk management, strategy, construction manager, completion time, questionnaire, profit, conceptual framework, United States, sampling, inventory, continuous improvement, Japan |
| Subjects: | Geography, project controls, methods and analysis, data collection methods, management, profession, performance management, project management theory and practice, psychology, performance measurement, risk assessment, inventory management, economic analysis, practitioner, theoretical framing, communication, manufacturing engineering, business, civil engineering |
| Topics: | Project Management, Quality Management, Supply Chain Management, Research Practice, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Time Control, Information Management, Geographical Context, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here