Chapter 1

lean manufacturing principles for enhance efficiency of human resources: a study in the electronics manufacturing industry of kerala

• Joshy M (Loyola College of Social Sciences)
• Dr.Angelo Mathew (Loyola College of Social Sciences)

In

Advances in Interdisciplinary Research in Engineering, Business Management and Social Sciences

ISBN

978-81-963834-1-1

Published

10 July 2026

Accesses

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Abstract

Abstract: Lean Manufacturing (LM) has evolved from a set of process-improvement tools into a socio-technical philosophy that emphasizes human efficiency as a key driver of operational excellence. Global evidence shows that LM’s true strength lies in leveraging employees’ intelligence, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. In this context, Kerala’s electronics manufacturing offers a compelling case: despite exceptional human development indicators, including high literacy and a strong supply of technically skilled labour, LM adoption remains limited, fragmented, and informal. This paradox prompts critical questions about why LM is weakly institutionalized in a human-capital-rich region like Kerala and the extent to which even partial LM implementation can enhance manpower efficiency. This research investigates how Lean Manufacturing (LM) principles enhance manpower efficiency—defined as the optimal use of employees’ skills, knowledge, time, and effort to achieve organizational goals with minimal waste while sustaining productivity, quality, adaptability, and engagement—in Kerala’s electronics manufacturing industry. Although policy initiatives such as the Kerala Industrial Policy (2023) and the MSME Competitive Lean Scheme (2024) aim to promote LM, weak and unstructured firm-level engagement highlights the need for a focused examination of LM–manpower efficiency dynamics in the region, with insights transferable to other emerging economies.

Keywords: Lean Manufacturing, Human Resource Efficiency, Workforce Productivity, Electronics Manufacturing Industry, Kerala; Socio-Technical Systems, Operational Excellence