Facilitating a continuous improvement culture: a literature review

Abstract

Becoming a continuously improving organization demands more than debates and resources; it requires a proper organizational culture. Successful continuous improvement depends on certain cultural factors. The challenge that faces many organizations is how to facilitate continuous improvement and embed its spirit in their organizational cultures. There are specific values and behaviours associated with continuous improvement. Several recent studies have confirmed the crucial role of organizational culture in implementing operational management approaches. However, answering the question of “how” is still awaiting a clear road map. This paper provides a literature review that explores the aspects that could facilitate a continuous improvement culture, where there is a clear demand for modelling the proper climate for continuous improvement. This literature review has included the articles have been published within the last two decades. It concluded with a group of cultural aspects, which draws guidelines for leaders to facilitate continuous improvement in their organizations.