Managing Improvement Projects Under Continuous Improvement: Practices, Portfolios, and Failure Factors – Evidence from Polish Industry
References
- Carnerud, D., Jaca, C., Bäckström, I., (2018). Kaizen and continuous improvement – trends and patterns over 30 years. TQM J. 30, pp. 371-390.
- Pérez-Rave, J.I., Guerrero, R.F., Vallina, A.S., Echavarría, F.G., (2023). A measurement model of dynamic capabilities of the continuous improvement project and its role in the renewal of the company’s products/services. Oper. Manag. Res. 16, pp. 126-140.
- Sanchez, L., Blanco, B., (2014). Three decades of continuous improvement. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 25, pp. 986-1001.
- Singh, J., Singh, H., (2015). Continuous improvement philosophy – literature review and directions. Benchmarking 22, pp. 75-119.
- Suárez-Barraza, M.F., Ramis-Pujol, J., Kerbache, L., (2011). Thoughts on kaizen and its evolution: Three different perspectives and guiding principles. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 2, pp. 288-308.
- Fryer, K., Ogden, S., Anthony, J., (2013). Bessant’s continuous improvement model: Revisiting and revising. Int. J. Public Sect. Manag. 26, pp. 481-494.
- Kornfeld, B., Kara, S., (2013). Selection of Lean and Six Sigma projects in industry. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 4, pp. 4-16.
- Kucińska-Landwójtowicz, A., Czabak-Górska, I.D., Lorenc, M., (2019). Project Management as an Element of Continuous Improvement in Production Companies. In: Soliman, K.S. (Ed.), Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Eco-Nomic Competitive Advantage. Proceedings of the 34th International Business Information Man-Agement Association Conference (IBIMA). International Business Information Management Association, pp. 7730-7742.
- Rudnik, K., Bocewicz, G., Kucińska-Landwójtowicz, A., Czabak-Górska, I.D., (2021). Ordered fuzzy WASPAS method for selection of improvement projects. Expert Syst. Appl. 169, 114471.
- Padhy, R., (2017). Six Sigma project selections: a critical review. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 8.
- Kerzner, H., 2020. Innovation Project Management: Methods, Case Studies, and Tools for Managing Innovation Projects, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Sailer, P., (2019). Project management methods as a way to ambidexterity. Int. J. Manag. Proj. Bus. 12, pp. 1061-1078.
- Pongboonchai-Empl, T., Antony, J., Garza-Reyes, J.A., Tortorella, G.L., Komkowski, T., Stemann, D., (2025). DMAIC 4.0 – innovating the Lean Six Sigma methodology with Industry 4.0 technologies. Prod. Plan. Control 1-22.
- Kucińska-Landwójtowicz, A., Czabak-Górska, I.D., Lorenc, M., (2021). Improvement projects - characteristics and classification. IBIMA Bus. Rev. 2020, pp. 1-13.
- Carvalho, M.M. de, Patah, L.A., Souza Bido, D. de, (2015). Project management and its effects on project success: Cross-country and cross-industry comparisons. Int. J. Proj. Manag. 33, pp. 1509-1522.
- Su, C.T., Chou, C.J., (2008). A systematic methodology for the creation of Six Sigma projects: A case study of semiconductor foundry. Expert Syst. Appl. 34, pp. 2693-2703.
- Barclay, R.C., Cudney, E.A., Shetty, S., Antony, J., (2022). Determining critical success factors for lean implementation. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 33, pp. 818-832.
- Yüksel, H., (2012). Evaluation of the Success of Six Sigma Projects by Data Envelopment Analysis. Int. J. Bus. Manag. 7.
- Jin, H.W., Doolen, T.L., (2014). A comparison of Korean and US continuous improvement projects. Int. J. Product. Perform. Manag. 63, pp. 384-405.
- Achibat, F.E., Lebkiri, A., Aouane, E. mahjoub, Lougraimzi, H., Berrid, N., Maqboul, A., (2023). Analysis of the Impact of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing on the Performance of Companies. Manag. Syst. Prod. Eng. 31, pp. 191-196.
- Fryer, K.J., Ogden, S.M., (2014). Modelling continuous improvement maturity in the public sector: Key stages and indicators. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 25, pp. 1039-1053.
- Marin-Garcia, J.A., Val Manuela, P. de, Bonavía Martín, T., (2008). Longitudinal study of the results of continuous improvement in an industrial company. Team Perform. Manag. 14, pp. 56-69.
- Antony, J., Gupta, S., (2019. Top ten reasons for process improvement project failures. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 10, pp. 367-374.
- Sanchez-Ruiz, L., Gomez-Lopez, R., Blanco, B., (2020). Barriers to effectively implementing continuous improvement in Spanish firms. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 31, pp. 1409-1426.
- Sunder, M, V., Prashar, A., (2020). Empirical examination of critical failure factors of continuous improvement deployments: stage-wise results and a contingency theory perspective. Int. J. Prod. Res. 58, pp. 4894-4915.
- Bader, M., Antony, J., Jayaraman, R., Swarnakar, V., Goonetilleke, R.S., Maalouf, M., Garza-Reyes, J.A., Linderman, K., (2024). Why do process improvement projects fail in organizations? A review and future research agenda. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 15, pp. 664-690.
- Albliwi, S.A., Antony, J., Arshed, N., Ghadge, A., (2017). Implementation of lean six sigma in Saudi Arabian organisations: Findings from a survey. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 34, pp. 508-529.
- Fannon, S.R., Munive-Hernandez, J.E., Campean, F., (2022). Mastering continuous improvement (CI): the roles and competences of mid-level management and their impact on the organisation’s CI capability. TQM J. 34, pp. 102-124.
- McDermott, O., Antony, J., Sony, M., Daly, S., (2022). Barriers and Enablers for Continuous Improvement Methodologies within the Irish Pharmaceutical Industry. Processes 10, 73.
- Alvarado-Ramírez, K.M., Pumisacho-Álvaro, V.H., Miguel-Davila, J.Á., Suárez Barraza, M.F., (2018). Kaizen, a continuous improvement practice in organizations: A comparative study in companies from Mexico and Ecuador. TQM J. 30, pp. 255-268.
- Jurburg, D., Viles, E., Tanco, M., Mateo, R., (2017). What motivates employees to participate in continuous improvement activities? Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 28, pp. 1469-1488.
- Jaca, C., Viles, E., Mateo, R., Santos, J., (2012). Components of sustainable improvement systems: Theory and practice. TQM J. 24, pp. 142-154.
- Oprime, P.C., Sousa Mendes, G.H. de, Pimenta, M.L., (2011). Continuous improvement: Critical factors in Brazilian industrial companies. Int. J. Product. Perform. Manag. 61, pp. 69-92.
- Middel, R., Weegh, S. Op De, Gieskes, J., (2007). Continuous improvement in the Netherlands: A survey-based study into current practices. Int. J. Technol. Manag. 37, pp. 259-271.
- Terziovski, M., Power, D., (2007). Increasing ISO 9000 certification benefits: A continuous improvement approach. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 24, pp: 141-163.
- Corso, M., Giacobbe, A., Martini, A., Pellegrini, L., (2007). Tools and abilities for continuous improvement: What are the drivers of performance? Int. J. Technol. Manag. 37, pp. 348-365.
- Omotayo, T.S., Kulatunga, U., Bjeirmi, B., (2018). Critical success factors for Kaizen implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. Int. J. Product. Perform. Manag. 67, pp. 1816-1836.
- Aleu, G.F., Aken, E.M. Van, (2016). Systematic literature review of critical success factors for continuous improvement projects. Int. J. Lean Six Sigma.
- McLean, R.S., Antony, J., Dahlgaard, J.J., (2017). Failure of Continuous Improvement initiatives in manufacturing environments: a systematic review of the evidence. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 28, pp. 219-237.
- Thomas, A.J., Francis, M., Fisher, R., Byard, P., (2016). Implementing Lean Six Sigma to overcome the production challenges in an aerospace company. Prod. Plan. Control 27, pp. 591-603.
- Tavana, M., Shaabani, A., Valaei, N., (2021). An integrated fuzzy framework for analyzing barriers to the implementation of continuous improvement in manufacturing. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 38, pp. 116-146.
- Coronado, R.B., Antony, F., (2002). Critical success factors for the successful implementation of Six Sigma projects in organisations. TQM Mag. 14, pp. 92-99.
Language: English
Page range: 348 - 361
Submitted on: Dec 1, 2025
Accepted on: Jul 1, 2026
Published on: Aug 6, 2026
Published by: STE Group sp. z.o.o.
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
Related subjects:
© 2026 Aneta Kucińska-Landwójtowicz, Izabela Czabak-Górska, published by STE Group sp. z.o.o.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License.