Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEAN SIX SIGMA, cilt.14, ss.1-20, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Abstract
Purpose
– This research has
been prepared in the context of Turkey to present the academic pattern of
project-based studies on the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach in a comparative
manner.
Design/methodology/approach
– Focusing on the
context of Turkey, a detailed search was conducted at the National Thesis
Center of Turkey, and on Google Scholar between November 28 and
December 15, 2021, using the keywords “Lean Six Sigma” and “Lean 6
Sigma” in both Turkish and English. As a result of this search, no conference
proceedings on the subject were found. However, 25 postgraduate theses and 19
articles were accessed. It was determined that 10 of the 19 articles were
produced from these theses. It was observed that 9 of the 25 postgraduate
theses contained conceptual analyses. At this point, it was concluded that the
project-based theses conducted in the context of Turkey provided the necessary
representation on the subject. Therefore, the sixteen postgraduate theses that
had been accessed constituted the sample of the study. These sixteen theses
were subjected to a comprehensive evaluation with the systematic analysis
design with descriptive content analysis being used as the data analysis tool
of the research. In this context, the theses were examined using parameters
such as type, number, year, university, institute, department, discipline,
original language, and title of advisor. Other parameters used were purpose,
industry, duration, team, results, tools, and techniques of the LSS projects
mentioned in the theses.
Findings
– It was determined
that the number of postgraduate theses on LSS was low in number, with only one
study having been performed at the doctoral level and in most studies having
been produced in 2019. In addition, it was observed that the subject had been studied
by different universities, institutes, disciplines, and departments with the
LSS spreading to different academic disciplines. Most of the relevant theses
were written in Turkish and it has been determined that these theses were
mostly carried out under the supervision of academicians with the title of
Assistant Professor. It was also found that the purposes of the theses, the
tools used throughout the process, and the results obtained were per the LSS
spirit. On the other hand, it was determined that the duration of the project
and the composition of the team members would vary due to the diversity of
features that make the internal dynamics of the projects clear.
Originality/value
– The research
revealed the academic pattern of the project-based studies on the LSS in the
Turkish context. The use of systematic review design and descriptive content
analysis as data analysis tools in the research is an important initiative.
While the uniqueness of the studies carried out on such a practical subject
cannot be discussed, the holistic approach of these studies increases the
contribution value of the research. At this point, this study is considered to
be especially valuable for an understanding of LSS research in country-specific
conditions. In this aspect, it is an aim of the aforementioned research to
become a resource for researchers and practitioners interested in LSS with this
research providing a basis for making contextual comparisons in the future.
Keywords Lean Six Sigma, Systematic analysis, Descriptive
content analysis, Turkey