| Summary: | Yes === Purpose – This paper establishes a comprehensive basis for understanding the roles and competences of midlevel
management and their influence on the effectiveness of continuous improvement (CI) capability within an
organisation.
Design/methodology/approach – This research builds upon the hypothesis that methods alone do not lead
to successful CI capability development. It focuses on the role of mid-level management in driving a CI
environment that underpins the effectiveness of CI capability. A reference model for the CI environment is
synthesised based on critical literature review, integrating CI culture, CI enablers and CI leadership elements.A
comprehensive framework is introduced to define CI leadership roles and competence indicators. A
quantitative benchmarking study involving structured interviews with 15 UK organisations was undertaken
to collect evidence for a causal relationship between CI leadership competences and CI capability.
Findings – Analysis of the benchmarking data provides clear evidence of the causal relationship between the
CI leadership competences of mid-level management and CI capability of the organisation. Given that the
empirical study was structured on the basis of the CI leadership roles and competences framework introduced
in this paper, this also provides validation for the proposed framework and the CI environment model.
Practical implications – The evidence-based knowledge of the positive relationship between the midmanagement
CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability informs strategic
organisational development interventions towards enhancing CI capability and effectiveness, ultimately
underpinning productivity enhancement and sustainability. The framework for mid-level management CI
leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this paper and grounded in underpinning work
undertaken within a large automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), can be adapted by any
organisation. The CI environment reference model should provide a comprehensive support for strategists to
communicate the framework for CI capability improvement within an organisation, to enhance acceptability and
adherence to improvement actions.
Originality/value – This research proves for the first time the significance of the causal relationship between
the CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability within an organisation, thus filling an
important gap between established previous work, focussing on the role of mid-level management on one side
and practitioner and team level roles, methodologies and tools. The proposed CI environment model is a
theoretical contribution with reference value for both practice and further studies. The comprehensive
framework for mid-level management CI leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this
paper provides sound foundation to deliver CI leadership in the workplace. === Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
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