Lean Six Sigma Practices and Job Performance among University’s Admin Staffs

Abstract

Empirical findings suggest that Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is an effective approach for enhancing both job and organizational performance across service and manufacturing industries. In recent years, LSS has been adopted in higher education institutions, offering a structured methodology to identify inefficiencies and implement sustainable improvements. However, research on LSS implementation within administrative functions in universities remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to examine the level of LSS practice implementation among administrative staff in a Malaysian public university (Research Objective 1), and to explore the relationship between these practices and job performance (Research Objective 2). Drawing from relevant literature, five key LSS practices were identified: Top Management Support, Continuous Improvement Culture, Communication, Training, and Employee Recognition and Rewards (ERR). This quantitative study employed a structured questionnaire distributed to 320 administrative staff, yielding 171 valid responses. Descriptive analysis showed that Top Management Support had the highest level of implementation, while Training was rated the lowest. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that all five LSS practices are significantly and positively correlated with job performance among the administrative staff. These findings offer valuable insights into how LSS practices influence job performance and underscore the importance of prioritizing LSS practices for successful LSS implementation and improved individual job performance.