Continuous Improvement Practices in Manufacturing Companies in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Purpose The aims of this study were to identify Continuous Improvement (CI) practices prevailing in the manufacturing companies with regards to Visual Management, Employee Engagement, Leadership and Risk Management; to identify continuous improvement tools that have been adopted by the manufacturing companies; and to analyze the critical success factors for implementing CI practices in manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach For this study, a survey questionnaire was used to collect the CI practices information from manufacturing companies in Oman. 146 samples were collected from 75 manufacturing units selected at random from the Public Establishment for Industrial Estate database. The data was analysed for reliability, robustness, ranking tests using Statistical Package for Social Statistics (SPSS). Findings The majority of the manufacturing firms were using only the CI program for the past five years. However, there was not substantial cost savings for these businesses. The overall sales increased, while the average processing time had declined and the product recalls also had increased. The most important factors identified for the effective implementation of CI in industrial firms were effective communication, top management encouragement, and employee involvement and conducive organization atmosphere. Social Implications Sultanate of Oman like any other GCC countries is undergoing a critical phase in economy because of the oil price plunge combined with ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will be of use to academics, researchers and continuous improvement practitioners. Originality/value So far, very few studies have been conducted in analyzing the factors correlated to CI in the Omani context and no study was carried out before in exploring the CI application in the Sultanate of Oman.