The Role of the DMAIC Leadership Process in Organizational Learning: Evidence from Frontline Projects

Abstract

How does the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) process improvement methodology affect organizational learning? The emerging literature on Six Sigma and organizational learning is sparse regarding the specific impact of DMAIC. We bridge this gap with an embedded, longitudinal multiple-case study that examines the leadership process of four frontline iBPI (incremental Business Process Improvement) projects. The 4I model (intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and institutionalizing) of organizational learning serves as a lens to study how insights from frontline employees unfold through group-level integration and organizational-level institutionalization. We map the flow of key project events to relevant social and psychological processes with the 4I model and identify how organizational learning unfolds within the model’s three levels. Empirical results show that DMAIC facilitates individual- and group- but not organizational-level learning. Practitioners and engaged scholars will find these results helpful for iBPI program design, evaluation, and learning interventions.