Assessing The Implementation Of Kaizen Project In A Public Inter-Governmental Context: The Case Of The African Union Commission (AUC)
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Date
2017-08-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Organizations today are operating in a more competitive environment and adapting increasingly to various challenges in the environment. This calls for the implementation of change either in a radical manner, or on a small-scale in a continuous manner. For any organization to be efficient and effective, it is generally necessary to strive for the development of processes that track and document why organizational changes are necessary; why the changes mark improvement within the organization; and how to continuously refine and re-evaluate what the organization is doing to achieve its mission (Sackmann, 1997). Kaizen, a Japanese business management concept that calls for continuous improvement has been implemented in the African Union Commission (AUC) to improve organizational efficiency by standardizing work procedures and eliminating wasteful activities through a collective effort. The implementation of Kaizen does not offer a quick fix to a problem and the fruits often take time to be realized. Also, Kaizen projects often require large amount of funding to enable among others, training of the employees. Hence the implementation process becomes a very important stage for the eventual success of the programs. Organizational literature shows that the experience of public and private sector institutions that have implemented Kaizen has not always been positive. Failure is frequently identified as the implementation issue, rather than failure of the concept and theory of Kaizen. The aim of this research is to assess the implementation of Kaizen project in the context of inter-governmental and multi-cultural organization such as the African Union Commission. The study relies on a consolidated theory on critical measurement variables of Kaizen as the main theoretical framework. The study was also narrowed down to the implementation of Kaizen project, as a major case study on how the measurement variables manifest themselves in the implementation of Kaizen at the African Union Commissions.The study is a descriptive case study that uses cross-sectional panel data (quantitative) and synthesization of qualitative data. Using a Systematic Random sampling technique, 131 respondents (employees) were selected from a total population of 1743, with the sampling frame of 700. Primary data was collected using a Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ) complemented by a Semi-Structured interview which was then subjected to subsequent statistical analysis using SPSS –version 20. This was augmented by the review of existing literature. Research findings generally reveal that various challenges exist, some of which are common to single-government organizations and others which are specifically created by the multi-national and multi-cultural environment. The study recommends strategies and approaches for the management of the AUC as it drives its continuous improvement initiatives
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Keywords
Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Implementation