Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reach a deeper understanding of the Lean principle of respect for people (RFP to facilitate Lean implementation in Western organizations outside Toyota.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an interpretative, hermeneutic approach to understand the RFP concept through a literature study of existing research about Lean implementation, and an inquiry into the underlying meaning of the RFP principle, by studying sources from Toyota and discussions about the RFP principle in Japan.

Findings

RFP is seen as a central principle in Lean implementations, but the failure of RFP is believed to cause Lean implementations to fail. The literature about Lean discusses the RFP principle both as a general positive atmosphere and as focused on developing the work capacity of employees. By studying the sources from Toyota, it could be understood that RFP is based on ought-respect. The authors also find that RFP is related to takumi, a perfected form of craftsmanship. The authors translate the concept to English by tying it to the recent literature about craft to develop RFP as RFC – respect for craftsmanship.

Research limitations/implications

As this is a conceptual paper, it is difficult to translate the findings into a tool for companies and organizations to use. However, that is the point of the paper: that the most important ideas are not translatable into tools.

Practical implications

It is necessary in Lean implementations to connect people’s work to craftsmanship. Through a discussion of craftsmanship before Lean implementations, it might be possible to nurture an understanding of the underlying values of Lean.

Originality/value

The authors have not found any papers that propose takumi as the base of the RFP principle, nor as a foundational concept at Toyota. It is necessary to understand the concept of takumi, as perfection in craft, to understand the RFP principle.

中文翻译：

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精益原则 尊重人就是尊重工艺

目的

本文的目的是深入了解尊重人的精益原则（RFP，以促进精益在丰田以外的西方组织中的实施。

设计/方法/方法

本研究通过对现有精益实施研究的文献研究和对 RFP 原则潜在含义的调查，通过研究来自丰田的资料和日本关于 RFP 原则的讨论，使用解释性的解释性方法来理解 RFP 概念。

发现

RFP 被视为精益实施的核心原则，但 RFP 的失败被认为会导致精益实施失败。有关精益的文献将 RFP 原则作为一种普遍的积极氛围和专注于发展员工的工作能力来讨论。通过研究丰田的资料，可以理解RFP是基于应有的尊重。作者还发现 RFP 与 takumi 相关，这是一种完美的工艺形式。作者将这个概念与最近关于工艺的文献联系起来，将 RFP 开发为 RFC – 尊重工艺，将其翻译成英文。

研究限制/影响

由于这是一篇概念性论文，因此很难将研究结果转化为可供公司和组织使用的工具。然而，这就是本文的重点：最重要的想法不能转化为工具。

实际影响

在精益实施中，有必要将人们的工作与工艺联系起来。通过在实施精益之前对工艺的讨论，可以培养对精益潜在价值的理解。

原创性/价值

作者没有发现任何论文将 takumi 作为 RFP 原则的基础，也没有作为 Toyota 的基本概念。需要理解takumi的概念，作为工艺的完美，理解RFP的原理。