Unlocking Lean's Hidden Power: Sociotechnical Synergy

This research argues that Lean management is a complex sociotechnical phenomenon, but existing research has largely examined its social ("soft") and technical ("hard") subsystems in isolation. The authors address this gap by employing a sociotechnical system (STS) theoretical lens and process theorising to examine the dynamic interaction between these subsystems at individual, group, and organisational levels. The core argument is that a balanced interplay between the social and technical subsystems is crucial for effectively managing inherent tensions within Lean and achieving sustained performance gains.

Main Themes:

• The Underexplored Interaction between Social and Technical Subsystems: Existing literature has primarily focused on the technical aspects of Lean, neglecting the dynamic and mutually constitutive relationship between the social and technical subsystems.
• The Importance of a Balanced STS: The authors highlight that for Lean to maximise performance, neither the social nor the technical subsystem should dominate. Achieving a "balanced sociotechnical system" is essential.
• Paradoxical and Dialectical Tensions: The paper identifies inherent tensions within Lean systems, particularly arising from the technical subsystem. These include paradoxical tensions (opposing yet complementary features) and dialectical tensions (inherent contradictions).
• The Role of the Social Subsystem in Managing Tensions: The social subsystem, encompassing aspects like employee empowerment, training, work design, cross-functional collaboration, and management involvement, is presented as crucial for addressing and mitigating the paradoxical and dialectical tensions created by the technical subsystem.
• Synergistic Outcomes of Balanced Interaction: A key finding is that the symbiotic relationship between balanced social and technical subsystems fosters synergies that enhance operational performance, bolster dynamic capabilities, and drive process innovation.
• Lean, as a symbiotic STS, fosters synergies: The balanced and interacting subsystems lead to outcomes that are greater than the sum of their individual parts. This "symbiotic relationship... fosters synergies that enhance operational performance, bolster dynamic capabilities, and drive process innovation." (Proposition 3)
• Multilevel Performance: The impact of Lean's sociotechnical interaction is analysed at the individual, group, and organisational levels. Examples of positive outcomes include increased job satisfaction (individual), enhanced psychological safety in teams (group), and customer-centric innovation (organisational).
• Managerial Role: Managers play a "critical strategic role in shaping the adoption of social subsystems" and tailoring them to the specific context of their organisations. This includes fostering training, leadership engagement, and collaboration.

Source: Gamage, Isuru, Mohsin Malik, Amir Andargoli, and Roberto Chavez Clavijo. "Theorizing Lean as a Socio-Technical System: Examining the Reciprocal Interactions between Lean Social and Technical Subsystems." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (2025). Available at https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Theorizing_Lean_as_a_Socio-Technical_System_Examining_the_Reciprocal_Interactions_between_Lean_Social_and_Technical_Subsystems/29115758