Green Lean Six Sigma: A Review

Abstract

Although the capabilities and benefits of Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) have been well-documented towards developing sustainability in the manufacturing industry, practitioners remain cautious of its application. Due to this, there are research demands to systematize the available knowledge on this green initiative as well as to recognize the factors that enable the successful implementation of GLSS. Enablers are regarded as the prerequisites providing a stimulus to organizations to incorporate a new approach, but none had identified and analyzed the enablers for GLSS implementation in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. Thus, the objectives of this study are to review the leading-edge GLSS studies as well as to investigate its key enablers for positioning this green initiative at an operational level, particularly in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. The results revealed that the growth of research in this area has progressively evolved over the years and it is expected to continue to rise due to its importance and capability towards greening manufacturing industries. India, the UK, and the US had a large number of publications and strong international collaborations, respectively. This ongoing study also contributes leading references that can be fruitfully exploited in the enablers’ assessment process and subsequently the GLSS success.