Balancing Cognitions and Emotions to Advance Lean Corporate Programs
研究了认知和情感机制如何推动精益企业项目的进展，发现积极情感（如自豪、自我效能和公平感）在认知参与和项目推进之间起关键中介作用，对管理者和研究者有参考价值。
This study investigates how cognitive and emotional mechanisms drive advancement in lean corporate programs, addressing a key yet underexplored factor in continuous improvement. While existing research documents lean program successes, it often overlooks the role of cognitive and emotional factors in program progression. Using a phenomenological approach, we integrate individual and plant-level data through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Focusing on a lean corporate program implemented across 22 Italian plants of a leading global carmaker, we employ a structural equation model to assess the relationships among lean organizing principles, cognitive involvement, emotional perceptions, and lean program advancement. Three key insights emerge: 1) A comprehensive application of lean organizing principles enhances employees’ cognitive involvement in lean practices; 2) Cognitive involvement is essential for advancing lean corporate programs; 3) Positive emotional states—such as pride, self-efficacy, and perceived fairness—significantly mediate the relationship between cognitive involvement and lean advancement. This study contributes to lean management literature by demonstrating that positive emotions are critical for sustaining lean progress. By bridging the knowledge-based view with behavioral theories, we provide researchers and practitioners with a nuanced understanding of the interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in advancing lean programs.