The microfoundations of lean leadership: Monozukuri, Hitozukuri, Kotozukuri.

This paper sets out to investigate the microfoundations of lean leadership. To do so, we explore the Japanese philosophical concepts of Monozukuri, Hitozukuri, and Kotozukuri, representing that passion and craftsmanship for making things, developing people, and making things happen. The paper delves into how to foster lean leadership as a pivotal success factor in adopting lean thinking and practices in a manufacturing firm. By addressing the research gap concerning leadership traits contributing to successful lean deployment, the study explores the microfoundations of lean leadership. The paper is based on a single, in-depth longitudinal case study that offers new insights into the microfoundations underpinning lean leadership at VELUX, a Danish rooftop window manufacturer. The research contributes valuable evidence to the existing lean leadership research discourse, where lean should be seen as a human learning system, illustrating how lean leaders can cultivate lean and how the Japanese philosophical concepts of Monozukuri, Hitozukuri, and Kotozukuri resonate in a Western context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]