Title: Lean management and competitive advantage: a systematic literature review

Authors: Abdel-Aziz Ahmad Sharabati; Shafig I. AL-Haddad; Azzam Abou-Moghli

Addresses: Business Faculty, Middle East University, Aman, Jordan ' King Talal School of Business Technology, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Amman, Jordan ' Business Faculty, Middle East University, Aman, Jordan

Abstract: This article aims to study the relationship between the lean concept and competitive advantage in different industries and countries. The article uses a qualitative research method, the systematic literature review of previous related studies with keywords 'lean and competitive' and 'lean and competitiveness'. The search was based on screening research papers through the Internet specially Google scholar, then the most reputable journals. The data were collected, analysed, and summarised to come up with a suitable synthesis, followed by conclusions and recommendations. The result shows that lean management can be used in all industries and in all countries whatever they do and wherever they perform their activities. Moreover, it shows that lean management positively affects all competitive advantage dimensions except innovation, where there is a debate about the relationship between Lean and innovation, some authors said there is a trade-off between Lean and innovation.

Keywords: lean practices; competitive advantage; systematic literature review.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2026.153852

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2026 Vol.39 No.1, pp.107 - 124

Received: 22 Sep 2021
Accepted: 10 Jul 2022
Published online: 29 May 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article