Lean Manufacturing Tools Applied to Human Resource Management and its Impact on Social Sustainability

Abstract

This research reports a structural equation model relating Lean Manufacturing Tools associated with Human Resource Management to the benefits obtained in the maquiladora industry of Ciudad Juarez (México). A questionnaire is designed and applied to the regional industry to obtain information about the implementation levels regarding the A3 problem-solving: Decentralization and Multifunctional Working Groups and their relationship with Social Sustainability. The variables are related through six hypotheses validated with empirical information from 411 responses to the questionnaire, giving statistical validation. After quantifying the relationships, findings indicate that the relationship between Multifunctional Working Groups and A3 problem-solving is the strongest of the model. It is concluded that there is enough statistical evidence to state that these tools influence the Social Sustainability in Mexican maquiladora industries, so it is recommended that the Top Management focus its efforts on Human Resource Management to guarantee it, facilitating decision-making in the productive, reducing labor risks and increasing well-being.