Lean higher education: opportunities and limitations

Abstract

During the last decade researchers and practitioners are increasingly more involved in a discussion on lean model application in different organizational settings. Contemporary environment of higher education institutions is becoming challenging and many universities confront the problems of fluctuating support from the state. There is a growing trend to view higher education not as a societal good but as personal choice, therefore the number of students also fluctuates. The society demands greater public accountability for the money invested, also some business and political leaders see higher education simply as training for the job [4]. Recent changes to university funding from government in Lithuania, demographical situation (decreasing number of graduates from high schools), and relatively high number of higher education institutions raise the challenge to the authorities of higher education institutions of how to improve quality not only in the study programs but in overall management and how not to heighten but even to reduce the costs of education and research. In this context, attempts have been made to transfer lean principles and practice to the higher education sector. The main idea of lean is the emphasis on the value, which is defined by the customer. This is in high contradiction to traditional concept of the higher education institution. From the worldwide perspective, it can be noted that results of adapting lean model in higher education institutions are very diverse [2], [5], [13]. A mainstream prescriptive discourse suggests that lean is diffusing into higher education environments, providing a much-needed rethink of traditional ways of working and stimulating radical performance improvements. However, extension of lean principles to higher education was not so widespread and fast as it could be expected taking into consideration the development of commodification in various spheres of the society. Purpose of the article is to evaluate the opportunities and limitations of lean in higher education on the basis of analysis of theoretical and empirical works relating to lean application in higher education institutions and also on the basis of the experience of study program leaders applying lean methods in the process of improving the quality of studies. Research is based on the analysis of theoretical assumptions, secondary data and cases of application of lean principles in higher education institutions.