Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the originality value of the lean manufacturing (LM) studies carried out worldwide so far.
Design/methodology/approach
Four major publishers, namely, Emerald Online, Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor and Francis provided the databases for a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles in LM. In total, 211 articles published in 52 journals during 2005-2016 were collected. The affinity diagram was applied to group the originality value statements identified into logical themes.
Findings
The plethora of originality value statements identified in the literature are analytically presented. Furthermore, meaningful themes of the originality value of the LM studies are formulated.
Research limitations/implications
Some publishers might have been missed out in this SLR, given that it is based on only four academic publishers.
Practical implications
Identifying the originality value of the existing LM studies and presenting respective meaningful themes can help researchers and practitioners design their future research and implementation plans, respectively.
Originality value
The originality value of the LM studies is a subject which has not been reviewed in the literature previously.
