The change of production systems through consultancy involved projects: a multiple case study in Chinese SMEs

Hu, Qing, Williams, Sharon J., Mason, Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9089-2521 and Found, Pauline ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1879-8204 2016. The change of production systems through consultancy involved projects: a multiple case study in Chinese SMEs. Production Planning and Control 27 (7-8) , pp. 550-562. 10.1080/09537287.2016.1165303

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Abstract

Production systems, such as Lean Production System (LPS), have been developed to improve organisational performance. In their application to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), resource constraints mean that business assistance from external agencies, such as management consultants, is often required. Building on organisational learning research associated with knowledge flow across boundaries, this study aims to explore the practical issues associated with consultancy-involved LPS implementation in Chinese SMEs and the possible approaches to deal with them. A multiple case study is conducted focusing on four real-life, consultancy-involved, lean projects in Chinese SMEs. Four key problems that arise from consultancy-involved change of production systems are identified and four relevant approaches to handle these problems are also addressed. The case study implies that to better embed new production systems, such as LPS into SMEs, both consultants and SME clients need to adopt a more proactive approach when engaging with each other.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	0953-7287
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 April 2016
Date of Acceptance:	28 July 2015
Last Modified:	18 Dec 2024 14:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/89101

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