A study by Dr. Fernando Naranjo, assistant professor in the Holzschuh College of Business Administration at Niagara University, has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, a top journal ranked in the Australian Business Deans Council classification.
The study, titled “Lean management research in Iberoamerican countries: state of the art, gaps and potential opportunities,” was co-authored by Dr. José Moyano-Fuentes and Dr. Juan Manuel Maqueira of University of Jaen in Spain. The article aims to analyze, characterize, and classify empirical research on lean management conducted within a geographical context defined by cultural, historical, and economic ties, such as the Iberoamerican region.
The literature was divided into multiple sublines of research to cluster articles revolving around similar topics. Moreover, similar sublines of research were grouped and classified into three lines of research: 1) lean implementation, 2) outcomes of lean, and 3) lean leveraged by other managerial approaches. Also, research gaps were identified and future research directions were proposed.
“The study provides lean managers with guidelines about potential barriers, suitable lean tools, latest technologies, and possible outcomes, specific to the Iberoamerican region to facilitate successful lean implementations,” said Dr. Naranjo. “This manuscript also supports policymakers in designing programs and lean ecosystems through public–private collaborations.”
Dr. Naranjo joined Niagara University in August 2021. A Fulbright scholar, Dr. Naranjo holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the National Polytechnic School, Ecuador; an MBA/M.Sc. in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and a Ph.D. in management from the Ivey Business School at Western University, Canada. He also serves as director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence at NU.
