The Struggle For Efficiency : Implementation and Translation of an Efficiency Method in Small Manufacturing Companies

Sammanfattning: This thesis puts focus on the points where organisations perceive, translate and implement a new organisational idea, and the implementation and translation of one specific efficiency method is studied. We have looked at how a group of small manufacturing companies have implemented an efficiency method (Efficient production/Lean Production) and how they have translated it to fit their own organisation. The authors were interested in finding out both about the challenges and the positive outcomes of implementing an efficiency method in a company. While getting to know more about the subject, the translator’s (the person responsible of implementing the method into the own organisation) role and importance to the implementation became more interesting. In cooperation with a Host Company (HC), a decision was made to study a group of small manufacturing companies who had all participated in one of HC’s programs, Lean School for Small Companies. To be able to make generalisations from the results, a multiple-case study was carried out. To fulfil our purpose and gain a somewhat objective understanding of the processes of implementation we decided that it was necessary to interview two people from each company, one that had attended the Lean School and one who did not, but was directly affected by the efficiency method in daily work. The empirical findings were analysed in the light of the theoretical ideas we found about implementation of efficiency methods and translation of organisational ideas. The results of the study were in many aspects consistant with the theories found on the subject. The processes of an implementation is complex and are affected by the factors commitment of leaders, problems or obstacles, the translators role and ability to manage the translation process and, furthermore, by knowledge input.