The Kaizen Wheel – an integrated philosophical foundation for total continuous improvement

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated philosophical foundation for Kaizen. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on triangulation (and integration) of six philosophies: the Traditional Values, the Process-Oriented Philosophy, Edification, Completeness, Improving Perfection and True-Mindfulness. In addition, the Power of One integrates these philosophies into one solid foundation for Kaizen. Findings A framework, called The Kaizen Wheel, is created to represent the integrated philosophical foundation for Kaizen. It shows the big picture and the close knit of the six philosophies for facilitating Kaizen. It also suggests that Kaizen can serve as a new philosophical paradigm for the unification of action and knowledge. Research limitations/implications Although empirical contents are implicitly embedded in each of the six philosophies, the paper’s main contribution is to provide a conceptual framework for the integration of Kaizen philosophies. Since this is a conceptual paper, further research and more empirical studies will help facilitate the understanding and practices of Kaizen. Practical implications The Kaizen Wheel provides a big picture of the Kaizen philosophies. It is a useful mechanism for practitioners to review their own values so as to provide guidelines for not only their thoughts and behaviors regarding Kaizen activities, but also the design and implementation of Kaizen programs. Originality/value This is an original paper. It provides a valuable conceptual framework for providing an integrated foundation for Kaizen research and practice.