Lean management practices in the pharmaceutical industry
Journal
International Journal of Services and Operations Management
ISSN
1744-2370
ISSN-Digital
1744-2389
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2009-03-27
Author(s)
Abstract
Increasing market rivalry and an expected decrease in growth rates are putting ever greater pressure on operational performance in the pharmaceutical industry. As a consequence, lean manufacturing practices such as Total Preventive Maintenance (TPM), Just-in-Time (JIT), Total Quality Management (TQM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) seem to be attracting an increasing level of managerial attention. To the best of our knowledge, the existing literature remains sparse on the effect of lean manufacturing practices on operational performance in the pharmaceutical industry. To close this research gap, this article explores the effects of lean practices on operational performance in the pharmaceutical industry. Our results indicate that typical contextual factors such as plant size and company type have an influence on the degree of implementation of lean practices. We also provide evidence that, even in an industry with so many regulatory requirements, lean practices positively affect operational performance. Finally, the results suggest that operational performance is positively associated with overall company performance.
Language
English
Keywords
lean practices
total preventive maintenance
TPM
just-in-time
JIT
total quality management
TQM
human resource management
HRM
pharmaceutical industry.
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Inderscience
Publisher place
Olney
Volume
5
Number
4
Start page
463
End page
485
Pages
23
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
49548