A Research Agenda for Lean Management Awarded the Shingo Publication Award
November 4, 2025 – the Shingo Institute
LOGAN, Utah – November 4, 2025 – The Shingo Institute of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University is proud to announce that A Research Agenda for Lean Management, edited by Profs. Andrea Furlan and Daryl Powell, has been selected to receive the prestigious Shingo Publication Award. This award recognizes outstanding work that significantly advances the body of knowledge regarding organizational excellence and aligns with the principles of the Shingo Model.
A Research Agenda for Lean Management brings together leading global scholars to explore the evolution and future of Lean thinking and practice across five key domains: strategy, learning, sustainability, leadership behaviors, and digitalization. Grounded in the real-world practices of Toyota, the book examines the historical context and evolving implementation of Lean methods, presenting new theoretical perspectives and practical guidance for both academics and practitioners seeking to develop sustainable and effective Lean programs.
“This volume exemplifies the kind of thought leadership we seek to honor,” said Ken Snyder, Executive Director of the Shingo Institute. “It not only deepens our understanding of Lean management but also challenges us to think critically about its application in a rapidly changing world.”
Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, A Research Agenda for Lean Management is being recognized as a comprehensive and visionary contribution to Lean management research, filling a gap that has long existed in the field:
“Toyota’s famous production system is most properly understood as a socio-technical management innovation. However, though the technical side has been dissected in countless books, the managerial (social) side has hardly been researched academically at all. Now that we are a quarter-way through the 21st century—and a full half century since Toyota’s system became widely known and labelled as ‘Lean’—the world needs research to help us understand it more deeply and to explore its implications for addressing critical business and societal problems more closely. With A Research Agenda for Lean Management, editors Andrea Furlan and Daryl Powell directly address this dire need. From a substantive introduction articulating the case for a research agenda, through 14 chapters with content ranging from management practices, to learning systems, to environmental sustainability, to leadership, and finally, to the impact of Lean on the digital world that already surrounds us and threatens to engulf us. A Research Agenda for Lean Management grounds the reader in aspects of the current state of academic knowledge about lean management and points to areas where research is critically needed going forward. … This book should be in every business library and on the shelf of any serious student of management science.”
– John Shook, Senior Advisor, Lean Global Network
“The field of Lean management is very much alive and growing. Furlan and Powell’s Research Agenda for Lean Management does a great job of bringing together leading experts in the field to summarize the state of the art and provide fertile ideas for future research. It will get your brain cells buzzing!”
– Jeff Liker, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, US
“I heartily congratulate professors Andrea Furlan and Daryl Powell on being awarded the esteemed Shingo Publication Award for A Research Agenda for Lean Management. This book is a unique and excellent compass for scholars of lean management. Furlan and Powell’s well-curated book shows a promising path forward for the next era of Lean management scholarship. For anyone seeking an enlightening and deep understanding of contemporary Lean, search no more.”
– Torbjorn Netland, Professor, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
The award will be formally presented at the Shingo Connect Awards Gala on March 19, 2026, in San Diego, California, where the editors will be recognized for their contribution to the global Lean community. Shingo Connect includes workshops, site tours, keynotes, and sessions focused on achieving organizational excellence. Learn more at shingo.org/events. To purchase a copy of A Research Agenda for Lean Management or other Shingo publications, visithttps://shingo.org/books.
About the Authors
Andrea Furlan is a Full Professor of Management in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Padova, Italy, and the Scientific Director of the Lean Enterprise Center, CUOA Business School, Vicenza, Italy.
Daryl Powell is a Full Professor of Production Management in the Department of Business, Strategy and Political Science and the Department of Science and Industry Systems at the University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway.
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser Shigeo Shingo, one of the world's thought leaders in the Toyota Production System.
Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute's Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates or to register to attend an event, please visithttps://shingo.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary Price, Events and Marketing Director
Shingo Institute
Phone: +1.435.760.0711
Email: [email protected]
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser Shigeo Shingo, one of the world's thought leaders in the Toyota Production System.
Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute's Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates or to register to attend an event, please visit https://shingo.org.
Shingo Media Contact
Mary Price, Events and Marketing Director
Shingo Institute
Phone: +1.435.760.0711
Email: [email protected]