G.L.D. Wickramasinghe

Implementation of lean production practices and manufacturing performance: The role of lean duration

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of lean production practices and lean duration (the duration for which lean production is in operation) on manufacturing performance.,The survey was used as the main method of data collection. In addition to survey data collected from 1,189 respondents from export-based textile and apparel firms operating in Sri Lanka, longitudinal data were collected over a period of seven months from a firm in the study sample to corroborate the survey findings.,The findings revealed that lean production practices significantly enhance manufacturing performance. Further findings revealed the importance of the duration of lean production in operation in achieving higher levels of manufacturing performance. This provides empirical support for the contention that the adoption of lean production can only be achieved through time.,Findings have implications for practices of export-based textile and apparel producing countries from Asia, Latin and Central America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, which are competing intensively with each other for their market share in the global export-based textile and apparel production.,Manufacturing firms are adopting production methods and management practices to become leaner and fitter to create a new labour intensive production model that generate distinctive internal capabilities for survival and growth in international markets. Academics and practitioners in the field of manufacturing technologies will be interested in better understanding how lean production practices would enhance manufacturing performance from a non-western developing country context.

Effect of total productive maintenance practices on manufacturing performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of total productive maintenance (TPM) practices on manufacturing performance of textile and apparel manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach – A self-administered survey questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 236 usable responses resulted in a 78 percent response rate from 30 textile and apparel firms. Correlation and regression analysis was performed using SPSS software to identify the effect of TPM on manufacturing performance. Findings – The results show that all the TPM practices have positive and significant relationship with manufacturing performance and significantly improve cost effectiveness, product quality, on-time delivery and volume flexibility. Practical implications – The study presented in this paper offers academics and practitioners a better understanding of the relationship and impact of the TPM practices on the manufacturing performances. Thus practitioners will be able to make better and more effe...

Effects of continuous improvement on shop-floor employees’ job performance in Lean production: The role of Lean duration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present empirical findings of the effect of continuous improvement (CI) on shop-floor employees’ job performance in the Lean production system-implemented textile and apparel firms. Design/methodology/approach A random sample of 657 shop-floor employees engaged full-time in Lean production systems-implemented textile and apparel firms in Sri Lanka responded to the survey. Statistical methods were used for data analysis. Findings It was revealed that CI significantly and positively influences shop-floor employees’ job performance, and the duration of Lean production in operations (termed as Lean duration) moderates this relationship. Originality/value Investigations on the ways in which CI initiatives influence employees is important in creating an environment to sustain the improvement efforts over a longer period. Such lessons would be valuable for academics and practitioners alike worldwide.

Variable pay and job performance of shop-floor workers in lean production

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate design features of variable pay plans adopted for shop-floor workers engaged in manufacturing firms that had implemented lean production systems, and the effects of design features on their job performance. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 892 shop-floor workers attached to lean implemented manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka responded for the study. Structural equation modelling was used for the data analysis. Findings – It was found that the performance evaluation-base for variable payments, variable pay calculation-base and goal setting for variable pay significantly predict job performance of the shop-floor workers. Originality/value – It could be expected that the academics and practitioners alike are motivated by their desire to clearly apprehend the contribution of variable pay plans on job performance of the shop-floor workers engaged in lean production systems. This demands more investigations to better understand the design features of va...

Effects of HRM practices, lean production practices and lean duration on performance

Abstract The purpose of this research is to investigate the structural relationships between HRM practices, lean production practices, operational performance and firm performance of manufacturing firms that have implemented lean production. The data were collected from the firms operating in Sri Lanka, which fulfilled the selection criteria set for the study. Statistical techniques were used to test the hypothesized relationships. It was found that lean production practices and operational performance mediate the relationship between HRM practices and firm performance; lean duration moderates the relationship between HRM practices and lean production practices in such a way that the longer the duration, the greater would be the adoption of lean production practices. The essential contribution of the findings lie in presenting empirical data valuable for the advancement of research in HRM as well as for making decisions on people management when implementing advanced manufacturing technologies.

Effects of gender on work-related attitudes: study of lean implemented textile and apparel manufacturing firms

Work related attitudes, such as perceived organizational support, turnover intention, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and job involvement, have received much attention by academics and practitioners for a number of reasons. Previous research indicates that such attitudes have important organizational consequences. However, little attention has been given to investigate the differential effect of gender on the work-related attitudes, in particular shop-floor employees of the textile and apparel manufacturing sector. In this study, using a sample of 616 employees in the textile and apparel manufacturing industry, the effects of gender on work-related attitudes was investigated. The results suggested that women perceived more organizational support, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and job involvement than men. However, despite the above positive work attitudes, women perceive higher turnover intention than men. This contradicts the general findings of organizational behavior theory that higher work attitudes lead to lower turnover intention.

Effects of core-yarn overfeed on texturing performance: comparison between air-jet and steam-jet texturing

The objectives of this research work were to investigate the use of high-pressure steam in order to replace air in the production of spun-like textured yarns and to investigate the optimum level of core-yarn overfeed ratio for steam-jet textured yarn for the application of sewing threads. An existing air-jet texturing machine was modified to supply either air or steam to the texturing nozzle. Using an identical nozzle, both air-jet and steam-jet textured yarns were manufactured. Loop instability and loop density increased and strength and tenacity decreased when the core-yarn overfeed was increased in both air-jet and steam-jet textured yarns. Steam-jet textured yarns have lower loop instability, lower loop density and higher tensile properties than that of the air-jet textured yarns. Sewability results show that for both air-jet and steam-jet textured sewing threads, core-yarn overfeed ratios of 5.5 and 8.3% give better sewability.

Effect of nozzle size on texturing performance: comparison between air-jet and steam-jet texturing

The objectives of this research work were to investigate the use of steam in order to replace air in the production of spun-like textured yarn and to investigate the optimum nozzle size for steam-jet textured yarn for the application of sewing thread. An existing air-jet texturing machine was modified to supply either air or steam to the texturing nozzle. Using four texturing nozzles, both air-jet and steam-jet textured yarns were manufactured. The effect of nozzle size on process and yarn parameters has been studied and compared with air-jet textured yarns. The results show that spun-like textured yarn manufactured using steam has lower loop instability and higher tensile properties than air at comparable fluid pressures. SEM image analysis shows that the entangled structure of the steam-jet textured yarns is similar to air-jet textured yarns. Further, sewability results show that steam-jet textured yarns are suitable to manufacture sewing threads.

Investigation of the use of steam for spun-like textured yarn manufacturing: effect of fluid pressure on yarn properties

The objective of this research work was to investigate the use of steam in order to replace air in the production of air-jet (spun-like) textured yarns. An existing air-jet texturing machine was modified to supply either air or steam to the texturing nozzle. Using standard commercial nozzles, both air-jet and steam-jet textured yarns were manufactured. The effect of fluid pressure on yarn tension, loop instability, loop density, linear density, strength, tenacity and elongation has been studied. The results show that spun-like textured yarn manufactured using steam has lower loop instability, higher liner density, strength, tension and elongation than the one manufactured using air at comparable fluid pressures. SEM image analysis shows that the intermingled structure of the steam-jet textured yarns is comparable to the air-jet textured yarns. Therefore, it can be concluded that steam can be used as an alternative fluid for air in making spun-like textured yarns.

Investigation of the effect of core-yarn wetting on air-jet and steam-jet spun-like texturing performance

The objective of the research work was to investigate the use of steam as an alternative fluid for air in spun-like textured yarn manufacturing and to investigate the effect of wetting on texturing performance. An existing air-jet texturing machine was modified to supply either air or steam to the texturing nozzle. Both air-jet and steam-jet textured yarns were made using the same process parameters with and without core-yarn wetting. The effect of core-yarn wetting on the texturing performance has been studied. Results show that core-yarn wetting is critical for air-jet texturing but do not have considerable impact on steam-jet texturing. Therefore, core-yarn wetting could be eliminated in steam-jet texturing. Further, steam-jet texturing shows its capability in manufacturing spun-like textured yarns with better performance than the air-jet. Therefore, it can be concluded that steam can be used as an alternative fluid for air in making spun-like textured yarns without core-yarn wetting.