Toyota way lean leadership: Some preliminary findings from the Chinese construction industry

Abstract

Lean, which has its roots in the Toyota Production System (TPS), became a "buzz" word since early 1990s. To capture its true meaning, substantial attempts are made. Of these, Liker's work on the Toyota Way is viewed as the most comprehensive and propounding. One of the principles associates with the Toyota Way is the Toyota Way style leadership, which has a big role to play in the lean transformation. This paper reviews the works of lean leadership, with a focus on the "Toyota Way style". A list of attributes that pertain to Toyota Way lean leadership was developed, aimed at measuring the Maturity of Lean Leadership. This paper then made a qualitative inquiry with respect to the leadership c..