Effects of continuous improvement on shop-floor employees' job performance in Lean production The role of Lean duration

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present empirical findings of the effect of continuous improvement (CI) on shop-floor employees' job performance in the Lean production system-implemented textile and apparel firms. Design/methodology/approach - A random sample of 657 shop-floor employees engaged full-time in Lean production systems-implemented textile and apparel firms in Sri Lanka responded to the survey. Statistical methods were used for data analysis. Findings - It was revealed that CI significantly and positively influences shop-floor employees' job performance, and the duration of Lean production in operations (termed as Lean duration) moderates this relationship. Originality/value - Investigations on the ways in which CI initiatives influence employees is important in creating an environment to sustain the improvement efforts over a longer period. Such lessons would be valuable for academics and practitioners alike worldwide.