Lean management and competitive advantage: a systematic literature review

Abdel-Aziz Ahmad Sharabati, Shafig I. AL-Haddad and Azzam Abou-Moghli

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2026, vol. 39, issue 1, 107-124

Abstract: This article aims to study the relationship between the lean concept and competitive advantage in different industries and countries. The article uses a qualitative research method, the systematic literature review of previous related studies with keywords 'lean and competitive' and 'lean and competitiveness'. The search was based on screening research papers through the Internet specially Google scholar, then the most reputable journals. The data were collected, analysed, and summarised to come up with a suitable synthesis, followed by conclusions and recommendations. The result shows that lean management can be used in all industries and in all countries whatever they do and wherever they perform their activities. Moreover, it shows that lean management positively affects all competitive advantage dimensions except innovation, where there is a debate about the relationship between Lean and innovation, some authors said there is a trade-off between Lean and innovation.

Keywords: lean practices; competitive advantage; systematic literature review. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijbexc:v:39:y:2026:i:1:p:107-124

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