Effective lean knowledge transfer across manufacturing units in multinational corporations

Several multinational corporations (MNCs) have faced the challenge of transferring lean knowledge across manufacturing units in past years. This paper focuses on early stages of lean knowledge transfer (LKT) projects, considering initiatives carried out by lean knowledge owners to instill the lean philosophy to non-lean plants. Seven cases were analyzed to investigate major problems found by European MNCs in transferring lean to two polar contexts, U.S. and China, and their impacts on LKT process. It emerges that major criticalities are context-specific. Problems linked with recipient’s context as well as organizational culture of source unit influence how LKT projects are conducted.