Lean production (LP) has been the dominant production rhetoric for the last couple of decades but there is limited and ambiguous knowledge concerning the impacts of how LP practices influences the working environment conditions. Drawing from prior research (i.e. Håkansson, et al., 2017; Saurin and Ferreira, 2009; Conti, et al. 2006) we add granularity through in-depth empirical studies to the field and provide evidence for both positive and negative impact of the use of LP on the perceived working environment conditions among employees in the manufacturing sector. Through in-depth interviews with managers and production workers, and a survey to non-managers in three manufacturing companies in the southern part of Sweden.  

The results confirm existing literature in that we find workers in mature LP-organizations consider their working conditions to be generally good but challenging and that workers feel empowered and motivated when working in a LP context. The study add to prior knowledge in that LP also have less positive effects on the working environment conditions which is seen primarily through high level of stress and weak communication patterns.

We conclude that improvement work, when properly done, gradually strengthen the working conditions, and the need for worker empowerment in the improvement work process is crucial. Furthermore, when LP is perceived to be top-down from the managers, the overall perception is rather negative from a worker perspective and several of the advertised benefits from LP are never experienced among members of the organization.

Our study contributes to further connecting the Operations Management and Human Resource Management concerning the practice of LP and the impact it has on the perceived working environment conditions.