From People to Performance: Leveraging Soft Lean Practices for Environmental Sustainability in Large-Scale Production

Matteo Ferrazzi, Guilherme Luz Tortorella, Wen Li, Federica Costa () and Alberto Portioli-Staudacher
Additional contact information
Matteo Ferrazzi: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy
Guilherme Luz Tortorella: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Wen Li: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Federica Costa: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy
Alberto Portioli-Staudacher: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-24

Abstract: Lean manufacturing can be considered a socio-technical system integrating both technical tools and human-centered, or soft, practices. While extensive research has examined technical aspects, the contribution of soft Lean practices focused on human behavior to environmental sustainability remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how soft Lean practices can help overcome barriers to environmental performance in large-scale production systems (LSPSs), using Italy’s food manufacturing sector as a case study. A multi-case study methodology was employed, involving five companies. Data were collected through interviews conducted across top management, middle management, and operational staff levels to capture diverse perspectives. Using variables extracted from the literature and a deductive coding approach, the study identifies (1) the specific soft Lean practices adopted and the perceived environmental performance barriers at each hierarchical level, (2) differences in interpretation of these practices and barriers across hierarchical levels, and (3) how soft practices can mitigate obstacles to sustainable performance. The results demonstrate that soft Lean practices, when aligned with organizational structure and culture, can effectively mitigate barriers to environmental improvement. This research contributes to the Lean and sustainability literature by offering a multi-level perspective and practical insights into integrating human-centered approaches within industrial sustainability strategies.

Keywords: sustainability; barriers; social practice; people; lean manufacturing; large-scale production systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3955/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3955/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3955-:d:1644423

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().