5S Improvement Tool or Business Strategy: Comparing Application and Understanding within Australian and New Zealand to Japan

Abstract

This research provides an understanding of a Japanese management approach,‘5S’ and its application in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Organisational Web pages from all three countries were compared via a qualitative content analysis to assess the nature of the adoption of 5S in each location. The research found that Japan emphasised 5S as a management strategy, whereas 5S in Australia and New Zealand is viewed as a workplace tool for improvement or daily operation. The findings suggest that a holistic understanding and application of 5S provides a problem solving intervention at the system or process level inline with lean management philosophies.