Background: Financial challenges have crippled startup success over a long period of time. These challenges are always unpredictable and therefore require startup organizations to act in a manner that enables them to stay afloat within during such economic crises. Many startups have been dissolved during times of economic crises or recessions denying them the chance to grow into properly established business organizations.
Purpose: This research study aims to identify the relationship between lean management and economic sustainability. It examines the different concepts under the idea of lean management such as just-in-time, kaizen, and continuous improvement and tries to leverage the same in solving the economic challenges that are presented by the dynamic market situation. The dynamic market situation can arise from aspects such as stock exchange market crashes, pandemics such as COVID-19, recessions, and depressions.
Method: This study employs a qualitative multiple cases study approach through semi-structured interviews which are analyzed through the inductive coding and thematic analysis approaches within a sample of 12 participants within 4 companies. The results of the study turn out that companies apply lean management without defining the concept, and the different lean management concepts help them overcome economic challenges.
However, lean management cannot be used in isolation while combating economic challenges. The limitation of the study was that most impacts of lean management were felt over a long time.
Conclusion: The different concepts of lean management are essential as potential solutions that could prepare startup organizations overcome the negative economic challenges that they face as a result of the dynamic market changes. This concept offers a long-term solution to the different challenges experienced by startups around their financial health and performance which was discussed in detail.