Why do Process Improvement Projects Fail in Organizations? A Review and Future Research Agenda

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the Critical Failure Factors (CFFs) linked to various
types of Process improvement (PI) projects such as Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma and Agile.
Proposing a mitigation framework accordingly is also an aim of this study.

Design/ Methodology/ Approach: This research undertakes a systematic literature review of 49 articles
that were relevant to the scope of our study and that were published in four prominent databases including
Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO.

Findings: Further analysis identifies 39 factors that contribute to the failure of PI projects. Among these
factors, significant emphasis is placed on issues such as "resistance to cultural change," "insufficient
support from top management," "inadequate training and education," "poor communication," and "lack of
resources", as primary causes of PI project failures. To address and overcome the PI project failures, we
propose a framework for failure mitigation based on change management models. We present future
research directions that aim to enhance both the theoretical understanding and practical aspects of PI
project failures.

Practical Implications: Through this study researchers and project managers can benefit from well structured guidelines and invaluable insights that will help them identify and address potential failures,
leading to successful implementation and sustainable improvements within organizations.

Originality: This paper is the first study of its kind that examine the CFFs of five PI methodologies and
introduces a novel approach derived from change management theory as a solution to minimize the risk
associated with PI failure.