Lean Human Resources Management:An Integrated Model Proposal and An Application in Textile Industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63556/ankad.v10i2.338Keywords:
Human-Technology Interaction, Lean Human Resources Management, Lean TransformationAbstract
In recent years, the lean manufacturing and managerial approach model has become one of the prominent methodologies that enhance institutional efficiency and enable the optimal utilization of employee potential in operational processes. Still undergoing development, this approach fundamentally aims to eliminate non-value-adding activities and to increase productivity. Among the most critical resources wasted within organizations is human potential. In this context, establishing mechanisms that allow individuals to utilize their intellectual capacity and developing systems and approaches that enable the engagement of their emotional commitment are essential strategies for ensuring organizational sustainability and profitability.
Within the framework of these fundamental principles, it is crucial to determine which human resource management tools should be implemented, and through which practices, in the context of a lean transformation process. This study focuses on the human factor as both a producer and user of technology, and seeks to clarify the role of humans in an increasingly technology-driven work environment from a lean perspective. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate how human resources policies and strategies should be structured in an integrated manner with traditional HR tools during the processes of technological advancement and digitalization, thereby revealing the nature of their holistic interaction.
To achieve this goal, an interactive integrated lean human resources management model was developed using a documentary research method based on written sources, in alignment with the principles of lean manufacturing and lean management. The model was implemented as a result of a two-year study at a large-scale organization operating in the textile industry in Turkey. The results are presented in the findings section under three main headings: institutional infrastructure, managerial skills, and employee development. The proposed integrated system provides practitioners and decision-makers with a concrete perspective on how to adopt the lean approach in human resources management processes, along with the rationale.
References
Abo, T. (2007). Comparison of Japanese hybrid factories in the world: Generalities and peculiarities of patterns in the international transfer of the Japanese management and production systems. In T. Abo (Ed.), Japanese hybrid factories: A comparison of global production strategies (pp. xx–xx). Springer.
Aoki, M. (1986). Horizontal vs. vertical information structure of the firm. American Economic Review, 76(5), 971–983.
Chittithaworn, C. I. (2011). Factors affecting business success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. Asian Social Science, 7(5), 180–190.
Cho, F., & Saito, K. (2019). Fujio Cho legacy lecture notes. Institute of Research for Technology Development, University of Kentucky.
Fıkırkoca, A., & Kalemci, A. (2011). Küreselleşme ve makro-kurumsal teori: Bir literatür taraması. İş, Güç – Endüstri İlişkileri Dergisi, 13(2), 183–198.
Fuller, M. B., & Beck, J. C. (2006). Japan’s business renaissance. McGraw Hill.
Imai, M. (2014). Gemba kaizen (Çev. baskı). Nobel Yayıncılık.
Itagaki, H. (2007). Hybrid factories in East Asia in 1992–93 and after. In T. Abo (Ed.), Japanese hybrid factories: A comparison of global production strategies (pp. 98–123). Springer.
Kato, T., & Owan, H. (2011). Market characteristics, intra-firm coordination, and the choice of human resource management systems: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 80(3), 375–396.
Kawamura, T. (2007). Hybrid factories in North America: Changes of the Japanese management and production system in the United States between 1986 and 1989 and 2000 and 2001. In T. Abo (Ed.), Japanese hybrid factories: A comparison of global production strategies (pp. 36–64). Springer.
Kaya, T. (2022). Yalın insan kaynakları yönetimi. Scala Yayıncılık.
Liker, J. J., & Hoseus, M. (2011). Toyota kültürü (Çev. baskı). Optimist Yayınevi.
Morita, H. (2005). Multi-skilling, delegation and continuous process improvement: A comparative analysis of US-Japanese work organizations. Economica, 72(285), 69–93.
Ohno, T. (2019). Toyota production system: Beyond large-scale production. Productivity Press.
Saito, S. (1996). Teamwork: What makes “one plus one” greater than “two.” In Principles of continuous learning systems (Vol. 2). McGraw-Hill.
Shook, J. (2010). How to change a culture: Lessons from NUMMI. MIT Sloan Management Review.
Şirin, S. (2019). Yetişin çocuklar. Doğan Kitap.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1995). Machine that changed the world: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. Simon & Schuster.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. (1996). Yalın düşünce (Çev. baskı). Sistem Yayıncılık.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Anatolian Cultural Research

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


