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Green-lean-six
A comparative analysis of green- sigma enablers
lean-six sigma enablers and
environmental outcomes: a
natural resource-based view
Amna Farrukh and Sanjay Mathrani Received 19 May 2021
Revised 1 September 2021
School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University – Albany Campus, Accepted 1 September 2021
Auckland, New Zealand, and
Aymen Sajjad
School of Management, Massey Business School, Massey University – Albany Campus,
Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract
Purpose – Despite differing strategies towards environmental sustainability in developed and developing
nations, the manufacturing sector in these regional domains faces substantial environmental issues. The
purpose of this study is to examine the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) enablers and outcomes for enhancing
environmental sustainability of manufacturing firms in both, a developed and developing country context by
using an environment-centric natural resource-based view (NRBV).
Design/methodology/approach – First, a framework of GLSS enablers and outcomes aligned with the
NRBV strategic capabilities is proposed through a systematic literature review. Second, this framework is
used to empirically investigate the GLSS enablers and outcomes of manufacturing firms through in-depth
interviews with lean six sigma and environmental consultants from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK)
(developed and developing nations).
Findings – Analysis from both regional domains highlights the use of GLSS enablers and outcomes under
different NRBV capabilities of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development. A
comparison reveals that NZ firms practice GLSS to comply with environmental regulatory requirements,
avoid penalties and maintain their clean-green image. Conversely, Pakistani firms execute GLSS to reduce
energy use, satisfy international customers and create a green image.
Practical implications – This paper provides new insights on GLSS for environmental sustainability
which can assist industrial experts and academia for future strategies and research.
Originality/value – This is one of the early comparative studies that has used the NRBV to investigate
GLSS enablers and outcomes in manufacturing firms for enhancing environmental performance comparing
developed and developing nations

Keywords Environmental sustainability, NRBV, Environmental outcomes, GLSS enablers

Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction
Manufacturing organizations in both developed and developing countries are facing various
environmental issues resulting from their business operations such as energy crisis, industrial
waste, carbon emissions, health and safety issues and insufficient natural resources (Teles
et al., 2015). These challenges are significant for developing countries owing to their large International Journal of Lean Six
Sigma
population, less regard for pollution and lack of governance (Du Plessis, 2007). Additionally, © Emerald Publishing Limited
2040-4166
organizations in these countries pay more attention to economic issues rather than DOI 10.1108/IJLSS-05-2021-0095
IJLSS environmental objectives (Mangla et al., 2018; Teles et al., 2015) owing to weak enforcement of
environmental regulations, high cost of environmental programs and lack of environmental
knowledge (Rao, 2004). Conversely, despite the rigorous policies and environmentally
sustainable practices, manufacturing organizations in developed countries continue to face
pressing environmental issues such as air emissions, resource scarcity and water pollution
because of technological advancements (Cracolici et al., 2010). Therefore, organizations are
increasingly considering different manufacturing paradigms to mitigate wicked ecological
problems (Hörisch et al., 2015; Swarnakar et al., 2020).
The key operations improvement strategies that address environmental challenges faced
by manufacturing organizations include lean manufacturing, six sigma and green
manufacturing (Klochkov et al., 2019; Parmar and Desai, 2019). In the current literature,
these three strategies are found to have synergies in reducing wastes, which if combined,
could be used as a significant approach for achieving environmental objectives (Kaswan and
Rathi, 2020b). Such an approach can effectively address the natural resource-based view
(NRBV) of an organization by strengthening the capabilities of organizations in driving
environmental performance that create competitive advantage. In this regard, several
researchers have recognized the need to follow the concept of green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) as
an integrated approach towards environmental sustainability of manufacturing firms
(Cherrafi et al., 2016; Garza-Reyes, 2015; Sagnak and Kazancoglu, 2016). The primary
objectives of these strategies are different as green targets environmental performance, lean
addresses removal of wastes and non-value-added activities and six sigma aims defect
reduction. However, if implemented together, these strategies can better address the
environmental concerns of manufacturing firms by waste minimization, value addition,
emissions reduction and resource conservation (Farrukh et al., 2020).
The effectiveness of manufacturing strategies varies from country to country as culture,
policy, region, economic conditions and perceptions play an important role in their execution
(Gandhi et al., 2018). A performance comparative analysis of these practices among different
countries and presentation of results is lacking in literature which calls for research into this
area (Tseng et al., 2019). Various authors have highlighted this gap and emphasized a
comparative evaluation to explore the execution of GLSS practices and environmental
outcomes in developed and developing countries (Belhadi et al., 2020; Caiado et al., 2018;
Cherrafi et al., 2016). Based on existing literature and to the best of our knowledge, no
existing study presents a comparative analysis between a developed and developing
country on a GLSS approach towards environmental sustainability of manufacturing
organizations. Accordingly, these gaps have articulated the direction of this paper. This
paper investigates and compares the GLSS enablers and their environmental outcomes in
manufacturing firms in both these regional domains. Considering these gaps, a study is
conducted in New Zealand (NZ) as a developed country and Pakistan (PK) as developing to
explore what are the GLSS enablers and their environmental outcomes in manufacturing
firms for achieving environmental sustainability and how do these vary between a developed
and developing country?
To answer this question, a two-step methodology is followed. First, a systematic
literature review (SLR) is conducted to analyze the GLSS enablers and environmental
outcomes from an environmental sustainability perspective. Second, semi-structured
interviews are conducted with lean six sigma (LSS) and environmental consultants from NZ
and PK to gain an in-depth understanding of these aspects. The results present valuable
insights comparing experts’ opinions from the different regions, which is a distinctive
contribution of this paper.
 The paper is structured as follows. Section 2 presents the theoretical foundation Green-lean-six
regarding GLSS, GLSS enablers, environmental outcomes and NRBV. Section 3 describes sigma enablers
the methodology of the exploratory study. Section 4 presents the findings, and Section 5
analyzes and discusses the results. Finally, Section 6 summarizes the conclusions and
highlights the implications and future directions.

2. Theoretical foundation
2.1 Green-lean-six sigma
Green manufacturing emphasizes utilization of natural resources without compromising the
environment for future generations. Lean manufacturing, originating from the Toyota
Production System, is a management philosophy that focuses on increasing value for the
customer by reducing waste and streamlining processes (Chugani et al., 2017; Grigg, 2020).
Six sigma is a quality management strategy developed by Motorola, which is widely
implemented by manufacturing organizations to minimize variation and defects in products
and processes (Pepper and Spedding, 2010). Six sigma has gained popularity owing to its
dynamic characteristics of customer satisfaction, variation reduction and cost minimization
(Ali et al., 2020). Therefore, all three strategies, in one way or other, have an impact on
resource conservation and waste management.
Despite addressing the environmental concerns, there are some limitations inherent in
these strategies which stop them from achieving optimal environmental performance
(Farrukh et al., 2020). For example, lean is unable to address the root causes of
environmental performance and lacks a structured and systematic approach towards
decision-making, which limits its capabilities in fully addressing the environmental
objectives (Assarlind et al., 2013). Similarly, green lacks the ability to highlight variability
aspects of manufacturing operations leading to environmental issues and the capability to
effectively establish decisions concerning the strategic aspects of an organization (Kaswan
and Rathi, 2019; Nunes and Bennett, 2010). On the other hand, six sigma is incapable of
addressing the lean wastes in a process and life cycle assessment of products and processes,
thus lacks the ability in enhancing environmental sustainability (Zhang, 1999). Research
studies have attempted to overcome these limitations of the above strategies by applying
them in different combinations such as GLSS or LSS; however, the optimal environmental
performance has not been achieved owing to the inherent limitations of these individual
strategies (Garza-Reyes, 2015). Thus, researchers have emphasized a combined execution of
these strategies to achieve a holistic effect which is significant compared to the individual
strategies (Green et al., 2019; Kaswan and Rathi, 2020a).

2.2 Green-lean-six sigma enablers and environmental outcomes

GLSS enablers include a mix of green, lean and six sigma tools and practices that help in
minimizing environmental waste and maximizing resource conservation (Kaswan and
Rathi, 2020a). A SLR highlighted various research studies in the GLSS domain for achieving
environmental sustainability. The review protocol is given in Appendix (Table A1). Several
studies highlighted the use of GLSS enablers for reducing air emissions, minimizing
hazardous waste, conserving water, energy and other resources and increasing
environmental safety (Al-Sheyadi et al., 2019; Cherrafi et al., 2016; Sagnak and Kazancoglu,
2016). Banawi and Bilec (2014) used value stream mapping (VSM), life cycle analysis (LCA),
cause-effect analysis (CA) and pareto diagram (PD) in three steps, namely:
(1) define and measure;
(2) analyze and improve; and
IJLSS (3) control to address the air emissions and toxic wastes in the US construction
industry.

The study found that material waste from the construction industry has a significant
environmental impact in the form of greenhouse gases and toxic wastes.
Cherrafi et al. (2016) have analyzed the effects of GLSS enablers on environmental
performance in a study performed in Morocco investigating four industrial sectors: agri-
food, textile, tannery and hotel. The authors highlighted the use of 5S (seiri, seiton, seiso,
seiketsu, shitsuke), single minute exchange of die, kaizen, VSM, just-in-time (JIT), cellular
manufacturing (CM), total productive maintenance (TPM), visual management (VM), work
standardization (WS), gemba walk (GW), 5whys, statistical process control (SPC), PD, CA
and supplier-input-process-output-control (SIPOC). These enablers were used to address
environmental issues such as energy, water and material conservation, waste reduction, risk
assessment, workplace safety and cost reduction. However, the proposed framework was
not considered appropriate for complex processes such as painting, chemical treatment and
metal finishing. Similarly, another study used a define-measure-analyze-improve-control
(DMAIC) based framework in an open cast mine industry by following five principles of the
lean thinking cycle for reducing graphite and pollution levels (Sony and Naik, 2019). The
GLSS enablers in this study were VSM, multi-voting system, takt time, lean mudas, WS,
discrete event simulation, PD, CA, 5whys, bottleneck analysis and SPC. In yet another
study, Mishra et al. (2019) researched a bonnet manufacturing organization in India to
evaluate the manufacturing process through simulation modelling. The authors compared
the current and future state VSM of the process that resulted in dramatic environmental
improvements such as reducing carbon footprint, energy consumption, air acidification and
water eutrophication. Various enablers in this study were VSM, failure mode effect analysis
(FMEA), 5S, poke yoke, CA, JIT, kaizen, overall equipment effectiveness and 3 R (reducing,
reusing, recycling).
The findings also highlighted that research studies in the GLSS domain are conducted in
both developed and developing countries including the USA, UK, Norway, Italy, Spain,
Belgium, Brazil, Russia, India and PK (Ben Ruben et al., 2017; Hussain et al., 2019;
Kazancoglu et al., 2018; Powell et al., 2017). However, no comparative study between a
developed and developing country is found in the GLSS domain. Further, none of the prior
studies have used the NRBV in this area. Thus, the present study addresses the above
limitations by:

linking GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes to the NRBV; and

conducting a comparative analysis between a developed and developing country.

2.3 Natural resource-based view

The present study draws upon the NRBV as a theoretical foundation. According to this
view, an organization could gain a competitive advantage by minimizing the environmental
impact of its operations through three strategic capabilities of pollution prevention, product
stewardship and sustainable development policies (Cristina De Stefano et al., 2016; King and
Lenox, 2002). These strategies address the environmental, economic and social
sustainability aspects of an organization.
Pollution prevention strategy seeks to reduce waste and emissions from the
manufacturing processes rather than cleaning up at the “end of pipe” resulting in lowering
the cost. Removal of pollutants and waste from the production operations can result in
minimizing cost by reducing the number (and quantity) of inputs required, simplifying the
processes and reducing the compliance cost (Gabriel et al., 2018; Hart et al., 2010). Product Green-lean-six
stewardship strategy extends the scope of pollution prevention strategy by reducing the life sigma enablers
cycle impacts related to products and processes which can be achieved through
incorporating environmental sustainability in the product design aspects (Gabriel et al.,
2018). It can result into minimum use of environmentally hazardous materials and
environmentally friendly design of products and processes to reduce life cycle cost (Cristina
De Stefano et al., 2016). Along with the pollution prevention and product stewardship
strategies, sustainable development includes environmentally oriented practices for
reducing the negative environmental impacts and using resource-efficient methods for
indefinitely sustaining resources for future use (Baumgartner and Rauter, 2017; Cristina De
Stefano et al., 2016). It also helps an organization in managing risks associated with the
products and processes, reducing environmental wastes, improving workplace safety and
focusing on the long-term environmental sustainability (Tiwari et al., 2020).

2.4 Green-lean-six sigma enablers and environmental outcomes based on natural resource-
based view
A green-lean-six sigma approach can create competencies in substantially reducing
environmental outcomes from synergies of the joint strategy and improving an
organization’s eco-friendly image in the market and increasing the stakeholder’s value and
competitive advantage (Gaikwad and Sunnapwar, 2020b; Farrukh et al., 2020; Garza-Reyes,
2015; Lokkerbol et al., 2012). It is envisaged that a GLSS approach is capable to comprehend
the NRBV capabilities of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable
development strategies through enablers such as EMS, LCA, design of experiment (DOE),
VSM, 3 R, 5S, SPC and DMAIC (Chugani et al., 2017; Nadeem et al., 2019). EMS ensures that
environmental considerations are incorporated in an organization’s corporate strategies and
processes aiming to strengthen the NRBV capabilities of an organization. It provides a
holistic approach towards managing environmental aspects and improves the overall
environmental performance of an organization (Nguyen and Hens, 2015). Similarly,
researchers have integrated the environmental measures such as carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions, water and energy use in a traditional VSM and defined it as environmental VSM
and green VSM (Chiarini, 2014; Ng et al., 2015). VSM helps an organization for effective
implementation of pollution prevention and product stewardship strategies. Similarly, SPC
reduces process variation resulting in reducing product defects and saving resources in
relation to the product stewardship aspects (Jakhar, 2017). The SIPOC diagram is used to
determine air emissions, solid waste and effluent discharges associated with the
manufacturing processes (Cherrafi et al., 2016) enhancing pollution prevention capability of
an organization.
Accordingly, this study uses the environment-centric NRBV, which aligns well with the
overall aims of this paper. Figure 1 presents a conceptual NRBV framework of GLSS
enablers and environmental outcomes developed by analyzing available literature
embedded with the three NRBV strategic capabilities (pollution prevention, product
stewardship and sustainable development).
By implementing GLSS enablers, an organization can achieve the desired environmental
outcomes such as waste and air emission reduction, resource conservation and recycling and
environmental safety and compliance which lead to environmental sustainability. The
environmental outcomes are further sub-categorized in Figure 1. Table 1 presents the SLR
findings according to the above classification.
IJLSS
NRBV

Enablers

Outcomes

Environmental
sustainability

Environmental safety and compliance

-Decrease in environmental fines and penalties
- Sound environmental decision making
- Future orientation
- Improve employee and workplace safety

GLSS enablers for sustainable development

5S, 5whys, CA, CBA, CM, DOE, DMAIC, EMS process
mapping, FMEA, GW, kaizen, LCA, PCA, PD, poke-yoke,
project charter, SIPOC, SPC, TPM, VM, VSM, WS

Figure 1.
An NRBV framework
of GLSS enablers and
Sustainable development
environment

3. Exploratory study
The GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes have been investigated in a developed and
developing country context through a qualitative study with LSS and environmental
consultants from NZ and PK. A holistic GLSS approach is complex, generally structured
both internal and external to the manufacturing organizations with the evaluation of
environmental sustainability aspects being a challenging issue (Cinelli et al., 2014).
Therefore, a qualitative methodology has been applied using inductive and comprehensive
approaches to investigate the experience of experts in the context of the specific research
settings (Creswell and Miller, 2000; Patton, 1990). A purposive sampling method was
followed in the selection of research participants for their better understanding of the
research problem (Bryman and Bell, 2007; Patton, 1990). Four participants including LSS
and environmental experts working in small consultancy firms involved in LSS and green
implementations were selected from both countries. The inclusion criteria of the experts
were: they work as LSS and environmental consultants and have at least two years of
implementation experience in manufacturing firms of NZ and PK. The opinions of these
consultants are valuable in conceptualizing the GLSS approach because they have vast
implementation experience of these strategies in different manufacturing organizations,
which is aligned with the main scientific inquiry of this study (Lopez and Willis, 2004;
Pietkiewicz and Smith, 2014). The details of the selected participants are given in Table 2.
 Environmental
Green-lean-six
NRBV GLSS enablers outcomes Sub-categories Sources sigma enablers
Pollution 5S, 5whys, CA, CM, cost benefit Waste and Air emission Besseris (2011);
prevention analysis (CBA), DFE, DMAIC, emission and carbon Gholami et al. (2020),
DOE, EMS, FMEA, GW, kaizen, reduction footprint Marrucci et al. (2020);
LCA, PD, poke-yoke, project reduction Tiwari et al. (2020),
charter, process capability Process waste Powell et al. (2017);
analysis (PCA), process mapping, reduction Sony and Naik
SIPOC, SPC, TPM, time motion (2019)
study, VM, VSM, WS
Product 3R, 5S, 5Whys, CA, CM, CBA, Resource Less use of Ben Ruben et al.
stewardship DOE, DFE, DMAIC, EMS, conservation energy, water, (2017); Chaplin and
FMEA, GW, kaizen, LCA, PCA, and recycling and raw O’Rourke, (2018);
PD, process mapping, project material Kendrick et al.
charter, poke-yoke, SIPOC, SPC, Increase in (2017), Marrucci
time motion study, VM, WS recycling et al. (2020)
Less use of
hazardous
materials
Sustainable 5S, 5whys, CA, CBA, CM, DOE, Environmental Decrease in Cherrafi et al.
development DMAIC, EMS process mapping, safety and environmental (2016), Kazancoglu
FMEA, GW, kaizen, LCA, PCA, compliance fines and et al. (2018);
PD, poke-yoke, project charter, penalties Tasdemir and
SIPOC, SPC, TPM, VM, VSM, Sound Gazo (2019),
WS environmental Tiwari et al. (2020)
decision-
making
Future
Table 1.
orientation
Improve SLR findings of
employee and GLSS enablers and
workplace environmental
safety outcomes

Country Consultants Type of expertise Years of experience Job description

NZ N1 LSS Lean six sigma 20 Principal

N2 LSS Lean six sigma 3 Associate supplier quality engineer
N1 Enviro Environmental 3 Chief executive officer
N2 Enviro Environmental 15 Advisor
PK P1 LSS Lean six sigma 17 Chief executive officer Table 2.
P2 LSS Lean six sigma 8 Managing director Details of interview
P1 Enviro Environmental 8 Executive director participants from NZ
P2 Enviro Environmental 14 Chief executive officer and PK

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with LSS and environmental consultants from
both countries for gaining in-depth knowledge of the GLSS approaches used in the two
regions. Each interview lasted approximately 1.5 h. The framework developed in Figure 1
has been used as a guide for the empirical investigation. Questions were asked to
understand the implementation of GLSS enablers and their outcomes for achieving
IJLSS environmental sustainability in manufacturing organizations. As an example, participants
were asked to explain which GLSS approaches do manufacturing organizations generally
implement and how do these approaches help in conserving resources? Thematic analysis
was used to collate and summarize the viewpoints of different participants to generate fresh
in-depth insights (Braun and Clarke, 2006; King, 2004). A manual coding and thematic
development process was followed to analyze the GLSS enablers and their environmental
outcomes in manufacturing organizations.

4. Findings
The following sections present the empirical findings of the interview data collected from
both NZ and PK consultants on the GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes aligned to
the emerging themes of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable
development based on the NRBV.

4.1 Green-lean-six sigma enablers and environmental outcomes for pollution prevention
4.1.1 New Zealand perspective. The findings revealed that manufacturing firms in NZ are
inclined towards various environmental programs and certifications such as ecolabelling,
The Natural Step, environmental warrant of fitness (E-WOF) and Enviro-Mark to address
their environmental issues as highlighted by N2 Enviro. These programs are meant to
implement carbon certifications around products looking at their entire life cycle rather than
just the manufacturing activities in organizations. N2 Enviro stated:
For example, when wine is being sent to Europe, the European winemakers say you do not want
to buy that NZ wine, the carbon footprints hideously trail all the way around the world.
N2 Enviro further stressed the use of eco-design practices followed by the manufacturing
sector in NZ to incorporate life cycle aspects in their product designs. Similarly, N1 LSS
noted the use of green tools such as EMS, design for environment (DFE) and LCA to reduce
the air emissions and carbon footprint from manufacturing processes to achieve
environmental sustainability. Moreover, a carbon zero statement (ecolabelling) on a product
removes the negative ecological impact of its manufacturer increasing their green image.
Other green enablers such as carbon calculators are also used by NZ’s manufacturing firms
as stressed by N2 Enviro.
VSM is considered a strong lean tool for addressing environmental issues by identifying,
measuring and eliminating wastes in the manufacturing processes as cited by two LSS and
one environmental consultant. WS is also regarded as an enabler for controlling air
emissions in manufacturing firms. For example, if an organization wants to reduce air
emissions such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a printing process, it can use
vegetable-based inks which is an eco-friendly method to minimize VOCs and wastewater.
Although these inks are more difficult to print with, organizations are controlling the
printing process with the help of standardized work practices to minimize their air
emissions. N2 LSS noted that JIT is frequently used by manufacturing firms in NZ to
minimize inventory-related problems citing the example of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare
that commonly uses JIT in reducing its inventory wastes for a positive impact on their
environmental performance.
SPC is an effective six sigma tool for monitoring the environmental aspects commonly
applied by NZ manufacturing organizations, as mentioned by N2 LSS. For instance, a dairy
plant and a paper mill use control charts to monitor the environmental performance (e.g. air
emissions) of a process and check if it is going out of control limits. Although different kinds
of SPC charts can be used in a manufacturing process, the most common ones used to Green-lean-six
control environmental performance are individual (MR) and x bar ðX Þ charts. sigma enablers
4.1.2 Pakistan perspective. EMS is found to be a significant green tool implemented by
manufacturing organizations in PK as indicated by all LSS and environmental consultants.
EMS requires careful monitoring of the environmental wastes such as air emissions and
effluent discharges generated from manufacturing processes with a comparison against the
benchmarked requirements resulting in a gap analysis. Similarly, P1 Enviro also explained
that there is an environmental program called “zero discharge of hazardous chemicals
(ZDHC)” – as a roadmap to zero discharges. Every textile, footwear and leather exporter
need to conform to the requirements of ZDHC to obtain the certification. There is another
requirement coming from the European customers: zero liquid discharge (ZLD) designed to
remove liquid wastes, which is becoming a global requirement now.
5S is recognized as a significant lean tool by all consultants for improving the workplace
having a positive environmental impact on manufacturing organizations in PK. For
instance, P2 LSS explained the utilization of 5S by manufacturing companies for
segregating and disposing of different types of plastic, paper and few hazardous wastes:
There are very minute types of metal wastages such as metal dust, cutting fluid, metal cations
(copper, cobalt, and chromium), and oil mist in organizations using machine tools such as lathes
in different manufacturing sectors including dye houses, apparel, and auto parts. By using 5S,
such hazardous wastes can be removed on an ongoing basis.
Moreover, it reduces the negative impact on the food chain by minimizing the release of
these minute wastes in an aquatic environment which can be consumed by fish. Likewise,
P1 LSS added “security” as an additional feature in the traditional 5S tool as environmental
protection is becoming an essential concern for manufacturing organizations. All
consultants considered JIT important in reducing inventory waste by managing inventory
levels. According to P2 LSS, organizations working with hazardous substances such as dyes
and chemicals have adopted JIT to reduce the negative environmental impact by carefully
examining their shelf life. Additionally, consultants refuted the negative environmental
impact of JIT practices such as increasing air emissions through frequent transport use for
replenishments by balanced scheduling. P1 Enviro emphasized the cause-effect analysis in
reducing air emissions and stated:
If you apply six sigma on the exhaust of a boiler and look at the causes of why sometimes the
boiler starts emitting more carbon monoxide rather than carbon dioxide or oxygen and why
suddenly the excess air of boiler increases. Then, a cause-effect analysis will reduce the air
emissions and lead towards regulatory compliance as well.

4.2 Green-lean-six sigma enablers and environmental outcomes for product stewardship
4.2.1 New Zealand perspective. The consultants from NZ noted an increase in recycling and
conserving resources as advantages to GLSS enablers. Most of the manufacturing
companies in NZ are currently working on the recycling stage of the 3 R strategy to improve
processes in each of their waste streams so that no recyclables are lost to landfill. According
to N2 LSS:
Due to stringent environmental regulations in NZ, manufacturing firms are now continuously
treating their waste efficiently and their recycling abilities have improved.
Additionally, N1 LSS emphasized the increase in waste recycling as an outcome of lean and
six sigma which is commonly recognized by the NZ livestock industry. For example, using
IJLSS 5S and SPC in a thermal waste recycling plant where animal by-products are converted into
safe materials. However, N2 LSS and N2 Enviro opined that the majority of companies in NZ
are inclined towards recycling as compared to reducing waste. N2 Enviro highlighted the
minimum use of toxic materials and chemicals as an environmental outcome of using
hazardous substance inventory tools. N2 Enviro further highlighted that energy
management system (EnMS) such as ISO 50001 is also offered in NZ and is termed as
“Energy Mac,” used by only a few organizations. There is not enough market for ISO 50001
in NZ because most of the environmentally sustainable practices are driven by requirements
from clients who are generally unaware of this ISO standard. However, organizations such
as councils and district health boards use ISO 50001 because they are massive energy users.
Although ISO 50001 is not generally used in NZ, energy audits are frequently conducted in
organizations to evaluate the energy consumption and carbon footprint as explained by N2
Enviro. N1 Enviro emphasized that circular economy is being recognized as an emerging
practice that is gaining more traction owing to increasing awareness and significance of
product stewardship aspects by NZ manufacturers resulting in resource savings such as
water, material and energy.
N1 LSS emphasized that lean practices such as VSM and lean mudas result in material
conservation and energy reduction by removing the non-value-added activities which
automatically bring the cost-benefit for an organization. Similarly, N2 LSS suggested that
lean emphasizes manufacturing of a product according to customers’ demand, and by using
JIT, avoids any kind of storage, resulting in saving energy and material. In a similar vein, N2
Enviro highlighted the use of process mapping for managing energy and mass balances
which is helpful in the environmental analysis of a process resulting in resource
conservation.
4.2.2 Pakistan perspective. Consultants highlighted resource conservation as a major
benefit of green strategy through 3 R practices. Recycling waste and reusing resources by
3 R practices are now becoming the norm in PK and commonly followed by organizations,
especially in generating energy for manufacturing processes as noted by P2 LSS:
Some organizations are producing their electricity. They have power generation plants and dye
houses. Now, they are using water during their dying process and they are also using steam.
They bring it back, recycle it, and use it two to three times to cool down their machines rather
than using it only once.
However, wastewater recycling is common in manufacturing firms in PK (e.g. dye houses)
as compared to other types of recycling, and almost 80–90% of export-oriented companies
are considering this aspect, N2 LSS explained.
Furthermore, P1 Enviro explained the concept of material flow cost analysis (MFCA) that
addresses environmental problems in a cost-effective manner with a clear indication of the flow
of materials including water and energy, their relevant costs, environmental impacts, material
losses and disposal costs of end-of-life manufacturing processes. P1 Enviro stressed the
utilization of MFCA in the focal area of an organization used in combination with pareto
analysis that results in materials savings and cost reduction. Further, two environmental
consultants emphasized the higg index as a green tool, which is commonly applied by the
leather and textile manufacturing organizations of PK. It comprises a set of tools developed by
the Sustainable Apparel Coalition as explained by P1 Enviro. P1 Enviro also stressed that higg
index could be used in any kind of industrial sector (e.g. auto parts, chemical and leather
manufacturing organizations) as it comprises the general principles of environmental
performance improvement including energy management and solid waste management. P1
Enviro further noted resource-efficient management of chemicals (REMC) as a green enabler Green-lean-six
towards minimum use of hazardous chemicals and improving environmental safety. sigma enablers
P1 Enviro and P2 Enviro emphasized energy reduction by using green practices such as
EMS and ISO 50001. ISO 50001 is considered an emerging practice in PK for achieving
environmental performance and promoting green image of organizations. According to P1
Enviro, the number of companies implementing ISO 50001 to get environmental benefits is
rising. ISO 50001 requires monitoring, measuring and evaluating the energy indicators
where energy data are collected and analyzed to indicate the causes of variation in the
processes. This standard comprises work instructions to minimize the variation in energy
consumption that positively affects the environmental performance explained P2 Enviro.
The interview findings reveal that the lean paradigm also helps the manufacturing sector to
efficiently recycle waste. For instance, P1 LSS and P2 LSS asserted that lean practices (e.g. 5S)
enable an organization towards efficient, faster and sensible waste recycling by identifying and
segregating hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. According to P1 Enviro, lean mudas
increase production output by reducing cycle time and removing non-value-added activities
from manufacturing processes. Consequently, increasing productivity with the same energy
requirements results in energy savings and subsequently minimizes air emissions.
Six sigma is also used to improve the waste recycling process as stated by P1 Enviro. For
instance, applying SPC to reduce variation in water quality parameters (e.g. chemical oxygen
demand level) helps a firm in the effective treatment of wastewater. P1 Enviro further
highlighted energy conservation as a major benefit of deploying six sigma enablers (e.g. DOE)
by consultancy firms. For example, energy utilization in a process depends on a variety of
variables having an impact on the rate of energy consumption such as temperature, humidity,
product type, customer requirements and manufacturing techniques. Variation in energy
consumption can be the result of these variables. An organization needs to consider the impact
of various variables by applying statistical tools such as multivariable regression analysis to
find out the energy consumption under certain conditions. Among the six sigma enablers,
cause-effect analysis is also noted as a significant enabler that can be used in any area of
environmental improvement such as conserving resources, reducing waste and air emissions
and improving environmental safety.

4.3 Green-lean-six sigma enablers and environmental outcomes for sustainable development
4.3.1 New Zealand perspective. Other significant benefits of GLSS enablers achieved by NZ
manufacturing companies are environmental safety, risk management and compliance to
regulatory requirements as stated by N2 Enviro and N2 LSS. According to N2 LSS,
manufacturing organizations in NZ use green practices such as EMS and hazardous
substance inventory tools because of environmental regulations, to avoid penalties. For
example, WorkSafe New Zealand has various hazardous substance inventory tools to
understand the risks associated with these materials which are used by different
manufacturing organizations. Similarly, N2 Enviro highlighted the workplace and employee
safety as an outcome of using hazardous substance inventory tools. Additionally, N2 LSS
indicated the use of renewable energy sources as a potential energy management practice by
contemporary NZ manufacturing firms from a long-term environmental sustainability
perspective.
According to N1 Enviro and N2 Enviro, manufacturing firms get environmental
compliance benefits through lean (e.g. lean mudas, WS, VSM and JIT) specifically because
they are required to pay for discharging effluents and dumping waste. Similarly, six sigma
helps organizations to achieve government regulatory requirements by decreasing
environmental fines and penalties N1 LSS highlighted. For example, Fonterra has repetitive
IJLSS processes in its dairy plants and SPC helps in conforming with the environmental
obligations by controlling the processes and environmental performance (e.g. effluent
discharges and GHG emissions) within regulatory limits. Similarly, the printing industry
also has highly repeatable processes and gains the benefit of regulatory compliance in
controlling VOCs by using six sigma enablers such as SPC.
All three green, lean and six sigma facilitate organizations in effective decision-making
towards environmental waste management as these are based on continuous improvement
cycles through EMS, PDCA and DMAIC. According to N2 Enviro:
All of these green, lean, and six sigma include the plan, do, check, act cycle. They all are
management systems and use a similar cycle. You need sound analytical decision-making for
planning, implementing, reviewing, improving, and fixing things. That is in all of them.
N2 Enviro further emphasized the significance of EMS for improving social impact such as
involving the wider community in ecological decision-making, promoting social interaction
and stewardship:
There is a group that is working out of Wellington called “Rata”. They are offering a
sustainability product which is like the ISO 14001 but also includes the social sustainability
portions of things such as scientific and ecological literacy promotion and community
involvement in decision-making towards ecological concerns.
4.3.2 Pakistan perspective. GLSS enablers not only increase environmental safety outside
the organization but also stress environmental safety aspects within an organization by
increasing workplace safety practices. This leads to both social and operational positive
outcomes as mentioned by P2 Enviro. For example, in a garment manufacturing facility, a
huge amount of heat is produced if the machines are uninsulated, which spreads throughout
the facility. As a result, the workplace temperature rises, and it becomes difficult for
employees to work in that environment. It harms employees’ productivity which may also
result in poor product quality. Moreover, energy losses from the uninsulated machines are
considered environmental waste. To overcome this, EnMS requires manufacturing
organizations to insulate their machines to reduce the energy loss, which also achieves both
social and economic benefits.
Similarly, there are environmental advantages of lean and six sigma enablers (e.g. 5S,
lean mudas, DOE and cause-effect analysis) for chemical manufacturing organizations in the
form of increased environmental safety and risk management owing to reduction in the use
of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste generation as explained by P1 Enviro. P1 Enviro
further emphasized that quality circles can be modified into environmental circles in a
manufacturing facility which can be deployed for environmental improvements such as
resource conservation, waste and effluent reduction, and environmental safety and risk
management.
VSM not only facilitates manufacturers in evaluating their environmental performance
but also enhances the health, safety and environmental aspects of an organization through a
detailed evaluation. By incorporating and analyzing the physical, psychological and
environmental factors along with the traditional process timelines, organizations are
minimizing the burden on employees working at lower levels such as machine operators. It
is also recognized as ergonomics value stream mapping (Ergo-VSM). P2 LSS stated:
Health is becoming a major issue for export-oriented organizations in Pakistan, especially those
organizations which have manpower more than 5000 to 10,000 people. These organizations need
to comply with the international customer’s social requirements along with the environmental
ones.
P1 LSS explained that six sigma can facilitate manufacturing organizations in complying with Green-lean-six
legal requirements by using tools such as design for six sigma (DFSS) and QFD, hence reduce sigma enablers
environmental fines and penalties. Similarly, P2 LSS highlighted its use for identifying the
causes in case of non-compliance with customer’s environmental requirements and regulatory
obligations. DMAIC and DFSS are six sigma techniques which can be used in accomplishing
environmental goals such as saving energy, water and materials, reducing carbon emissions
and improving environmental safety expressed P1 LSS.
According to P2 Enviro, EnMS and EMS help an organization in effective environmental
decision-making. An example given was that ISO 14000 series guides an organization in the
right direction towards environmental cost-related decisions either through life cycle cost
analysis or MFCA. Similarly, EnMS supports organizations in environmental decision-
making regarding various energy performance indicators such as energy consumption and
utilization of alternative and renewable energy sources. Lean practices also enable
manufacturing organizations in effective decision-making through its tools as explained by
P1 LSS. The famous lean tools such as 5S, eight wastes, kaizen, TPM and VSM are regarded
as surface-level tools as lean also includes analytical tools such as heijunka. P2 LSS
highlighted that pareto analysis helps an organization in a factual approach to decision-
making by identifying the major contributing factors in an environmental issue. With the
help of statistical tools such as SPC, box plots and DOE, six sigma enhances environmental
decision-making capability by evaluating environmental key performance indicators. So, the
probability of “getting things right” increases as suggested by P1 LSS.
Furthermore, consultants from both countries emphasized using a mix of green, lean and
six sigma enablers to increase the environmental performance as waste is a common aspect
in all three strategies to achieve environmental objectives. A combination of these enablers
overcomes the weaknesses of others as noted by N2 Enviro. For example, by implementing
an EMS, an organization would need to follow work instructions on how to perform its
manufacturing processes. However, quality and process control is not the intention of an
environmental program. According to N2 Enviro:
It is not difficult to stretch any of these programs to incorporate the other ones. It is not difficult to
take an environmental program and include the quality and control aspects of lean and six sigma
strategies because you are trying to control the environmental performance. An organization can
combine these strategies by adding environmental aspects in the plan, do, check, act approach
and it will become a more efficient program.
Similarly, P1 LSS explained that Hubco and K-Electric are ISO 14001 certified companies
and regularly conduct environmental audits. They have also implemented a six sigma
program for their power operations to reduce environmental wastes such as carbon
footprints, wastewater effluents and air emissions. According to P1 Enviro:
I applied green (energy audit), lean (5S), and six sigma (pareto diagram, DOE) enablers together in
a pesticide manufacturing company to reduce the cost of pesticide manufacturing area. We
divided this project into four mini projects. As an outcome, we reduced process variance, rejection
and defects, material spillage, and energy consumption. Hence, improved environmental
performance as well as health and safety conditions of workers.
Table 3 summarizes the empirical results of GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes
from both regional domains.

5. Discussion
This study sought to analyze and compare the GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes
of manufacturing organizations from both developed and developing country perspectives.
IJLSS LSS and Enviro
GLSS enablers – GLSS enablers – Environmental Consultants in
NRBV NZ PK outcomes Sub-categories NZ and PK

Pollution 5S, carbon 5S, CA, DFSS, Waste and Air emission N1 LSS, N1
prevention calculators, DMAIC, DOE, emission and carbon Enviro, N2
DFE, EMS, energy reduction footprint Enviro, P1 LSS,
ecolabelling, audits, reduction P2 LSS, P1
energy audits, environmental Enviro, P2
enviro-mark, circles, heijunka, Enviro
EMS, E-WOF, higg index, JIT, Process waste N1 LSS, N2
JIT, LCA, SPC, kaizen, lean reduction LSS, N1 Enviro,
The natural mudas, MFCA, N2 Enviro, P1
step, VSM, WS PD, SPC, VSM, LSS, P2 LSS,
ZDHC, ZLD P1 Enviro, P2
Enviro
Product 3R, 5S, circular 3R, 5S, CA, DFSS, Resource Less use of N1 LSS, N2
stewardship economy DMAIC, DOE, conservation energy, water, LSS, N1 Enviro,
practices, EMS, energy and recycling and raw N2 Enviro, P1
energy audits, audits, EnMS, material LSS, P2 LSS,
hazardous environmental P1 Enviro, P2
substance circles, higg Enviro
inventory tools, index, JIT, lean Increase in N1 LSS, N2
JIT, lean mudas, MFCA, recycling LSS, N1 Enviro,
mudas, process multivariable, PD, N2 Enviro, P1
mapping, SPC, regression LSS, P2 LSS,
VSM analysis, REMC, P1 Enviro, P2
SPC Enviro
Less use of N2 Enviro, P1
hazardous Enviro
materials
Sustainable DMAIC, EMS, 5S, box plots, CA, Environmental Decrease in N1 LSS, N2
development hazardous DMAIC, DFSS, safety and environmental LSS, N1 Enviro,
substance DOE, EMS, compliance fines and N2 Enviro, P1
inventory tools, EnMS, penalties LSS, P2 LSS
JIT, lean environmental Sound N2 LSS, N2
mudas, PDCA circles, heijunka, environmental Enviro, P1 LSS,
(plan-do-check- lean mudas, PD, decision- P2 LSS, P2
act), renewable QFD, REMC, making Enviro
energy sources, renewable energy Future N2 LSS, P2
SPC, VSM, WS sources, SPC, orientation Enviro
Table 3.
VSM, ZDHC Improve N2 LSS, N2
GLSS enablers and employee and Enviro, P1 LSS,
environmental workplace P2 LSS, P1
outcomes from NZ safety Enviro, P2
and PK Enviro

To achieve this, the study first analyzed the GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes
through an SLR. Based on the SLR results, a framework has been developed including GLSS
enablers and environmental outcomes integrated with the pollution prevention, product
stewardship and sustainable development strategic capabilities of NRBV.
In the second stage, the empirical investigation with LSS and environmental consultants
from NZ and PK informed about the GLSS enablers and their environmental outcomes in
these countries. Drawing upon the NRBV, the common GLSS enablers for pollution
prevention from both NZ and PK consultants are 5S, EMS, energy audits, JIT, SPC and Green-lean-six
VSM. These findings are consistent with the study results of Ben Ruben et al. (2017), sigma enablers
Klochkov et al. (2019); and Tiwari et al. (2020), though JIT and energy audits are not
frequently addressed in prior studies. Additionally, consultants from both countries have
emphasized the rational adoption of JIT in achieving environmental sustainability and
refuted its negative environmental impact, contrary to research findings of Cusumano (1994)
who took a narrow view of this strategy. The findings reveal other GLSS enablers in NZ as
carbon calculators, DFE, ecolabelling, enviro mark, E-WOF, LCA and WS. On the other
hand, PK consultants suggested various other GLSS enablers such as DFSS, DMAIC, DOE,
environmental circles, heijunka, higg index, kaizen, lean mudas, MFCA, ZDHC and ZLD. It
appears from the above findings that air emission-related enablers are more used in NZ,
whereas process waste-oriented enablers are used more in PK. It might be because of the
stringent environmental regulations regarding the air emissions in NZ to maintain its clean-
green image or higher levels of process waste generated in PK firms owing to their type of
manufacturing activities. Whereas the environmental laws regarding air emissions are not
strict in PK, manufacturing organizations mostly implement GLSS enablers to reduce
process waste to achieve cost reduction.
The common GLSS enablers for product stewardship from NZ and PK consultants are
determined as 3 R, 5S, energy audits, JIT, lean mudas and SPC. Among these, 3 R, 5S and
SPC have been more frequently highlighted in prior research studies (Antony et al., 2018;
Chugani et al., 2017; Gaikwad and Sunnapwar, 2020a). The NZ consultants also emphasized
other GLSS enablers such as hazardous substance inventory tools, circular economy
practices and VSM. On the other hand, PK consultants suggested DFSS, EnMS,
environmental circles, higg index, MFCA, multivariable regression analysis and REMC. The
analysis reveals that closed-loop practices (e.g. circular economy) are also followed by
manufacturing firms in NZ which highlight the awareness of shared environmental
responsibility in developed nations (Agyemang et al., 2019; Blake et al., 2019). However,
recycling as compared to reducing waste is more focused in NZ. Manufacturing
organizations in PK more commonly follow micro-level closed-loop practices such as 3 R
that require well-structured environmental policies for successful implementation. This also
aligns with the results of Agyemang et al. (2019), though this difference may be attributed to
an enhanced focus on recycling and resource conservation as government regulation in NZ.
In PK, energy crisis and water scarcity issues have prompted manufacturers towards waste
recycling and resource savings.
For sustainable development, the common GLSS enablers from both countries are
DMAIC, EMS, lean mudas, renewable energy sources, SPC and VSM, which are also
consistent with the findings of Ben Ruben et al. (2017) and Tiwari et al. (2020). However, the
use of renewable energy sources is not highlighted in prior studies which indicates that both
regional domains are embedding the long-term sustainability aspects in their manufacturing
operations. NZ consultants also emphasized hazardous substance inventory tools, JIT,
PDCA and WS for sustainability. In PK, the enablers used are 5S, CA, DFSS, DOE, EnMS,
environmental circles, heijunka, PD, REMC and ZDHC. Findings have also revealed that
manufacturing firms in NZ are practicing GLSS enablers to comply with stringent
environmental regulatory requirements, avoid penalties and maintain their clean-green
image. However, manufacturing organizations in PK are executing GLSS enablers to satisfy
international customers, improve employee and workplace safety and create a green image.
This difference may be attributed to an enhanced focus on avoiding environmental
regulatory fines in NZ, whereas employee and workplace safety is more relevant in PK
owing to international customers’ requirements.
IJLSS The analysis also revealed that consultants from both countries apply green, lean and six
sigma enablers in combination to overcome the limitations of individual strategies and
enhance realization of environmental benefits. However, it is observed that the use of six
sigma enablers is low in NZ manufacturing firms as compared to PK. The reasons for the
low adoption of six sigma in NZ might be because of:

lack of experts with adequate experience in implementing six sigma in
manufacturing firms; and

lack of large manufacturing companies with complex processes operating in NZ as
most firms are small to medium enterprises.

Table 4 summarizes the similarities and differences in GLSS enablers between NZ and PK
and their environmental outcomes.

6. Conclusion
This paper investigates the GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes for achieving
environmental sustainability in manufacturing firms by capturing insights through an SLR
and interviews from lean six sigma and environmental consultants in NZ and PK. The
analysis from both these regional domains has highlighted several GLSS enablers leading to
environmental outcomes in manufacturing firms. The consultants from both countries have
emphasized the efficient and effective utilization of GLSS tools under the three NRBV

GLSS enablers
Environmental
NRBV NZ PK outcomes

Pollution Similarities Waste and emission

prevention 5S, EMS, energy audits, JIT, SPC, VSM reduction
Differences
Carbon calculators, DFE, CA, DFSS, DMAIC,
ecolabelling, enviro mark, E- DOE, environmental
WOF, LCA, The natural step, circles, heijunka, higg
WS index, kaizen, lean
mudas, MFCA, PD,
ZDHC, ZLD
Product Similarities Resource conservation
stewardship 3 R, 5S, energy audits, JIT, lean mudas, SPC and recycling
Differences
Circular economy practices, CA, DFSS, DMAIC,
hazardous substance DOE, EMS, EnMS,
inventory tools, process environmental circles,
mapping, VSM higg index, MFCA,
multivariable regression
analysis, PD, REMC
Table 4. Sustainable Similarities Environmental safety
Similarities and development DMAIC, EMS, lean mudas, renewable energy sources, SPC, and compliance
VSM
differences in GLSS
Differences
enablers and their Hazardous substance 5S, box plots, CA, DFSS,
environmental inventory tools, JIT, PDCA, DOE, environmental
outcomes between WS circles, heijunka, EnMS,
NZ and PK PD, QFD, REMC, ZDHC
strategic capabilities by illustrating several examples from different industry sectors. The Green-lean-six
findings demonstrate that NZ firms implement GLSS to comply with environmental sigma enablers
regulatory requirements, avoid penalties and maintain their clean-green image. Conversely,
PK firms embrace GLSS approaches to reduce energy use, satisfy international customers
and promote a green image.
From a theoretical perspective, we argue that this is one of the early comparative studies
that has used the NRBV to explore GLSS enablers and environmental outcomes. The
integration of NRBV with the present findings contributes to theory development by
explicating the salient linkages between the GLSS enablers, NRBV dimensions and resulting
environmental outcomes.
In addition, our findings provide three specific implications for managerial practice.
First, the results can be used as a benchmark for evaluating GLSS enablers and
environmental outcomes of manufacturing organizations in both developed and developing
countries. For instance, the study results could enable manufacturing firms in NZ to develop
and implement climate change policies that contribute to NZ’s 2050 emission targets. On the
other hand, findings in this paper are equally significant for manufacturers in PK in
overcoming the energy crisis and improving a green business image.
Second, the comparison between NZ and PK brings new insights for manufacturers in
the respective countries which can further improve their operational, environmental and
social performance. For example, from the findings, the use of hazardous substance
inventory tools is prevalent in NZ, whereas REMC is used in PK to minimize the impact of
hazardous chemicals for improving environmental safety. Similarly, the use of EMS in NZ
improves the social performance along with the environmental performance. On the other
hand, the use of VSM in PK achieves the social objectives along with the environmental
ones.
Third, our analysis suggests the application of a combined implementation of GLSS
tools, which could further support the change initiatives in the respective countries, since
waste is a common aspect in all three, green, lean and six sigma, approaches. Therefore,
using an integrated GLSS approach will be more efficient with more effective decision-
making because an organization will be looking through a single holistic lens to identify
where the improvements are required. The study findings have suggested manufacturers
combine these strategies by adding environmental aspects in a continuous improvement
cycle such as PDCA and DMAIC to enhance the environmental performance. By
implementing such a combined approach, manufacturing organizations can simultaneously
achieve operational, environmental and social performance through the integration of green,
lean and six sigma enablers (e.g. energy audits, 5S, PD and DOE).
The implications of this study include encouragement to consultants from both countries
in advising their clients in the manufacturing sector to consider an integrated GLSS strategy
to concurrently enhance environmental and operational performance. While in the
consultancy realm LSS and environmental experts individually conduct different projects in
organizations, there is a potential for a new breed of GLSS consultants who hold a diverse
array of skill sets, knowledge and expertise in implementing an integrated GLSS approach.
Moreover, the consultancy firms can also introduce and develop GLSS focus groups
comprising a team of LSS and environmental experts to assist manufacturing firms in
improving their environmental performance. Following this suggestion, consultancy firms
could effectively promote the integrated GLSS approach using the expertise and knowledge
of GLSS focus groups that could enable their client organizations to simultaneously improve
operational excellence and environmental sustainability.
IJLSS As this study has been conducted with the LSS and environmental consultants, it is
suggested that case studies are performed in manufacturing organizations in both
developed and developing countries as a future research agenda. Future research directions
can also include evaluating the interrelationship between various GLSS enablers and
environmental outcomes using appropriate mathematical modelling techniques.

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IJLSS Appendix

Peer-reviewed journal articles in English language were

Unit of analysis selected in green-lean-six-sigma

Search The search was limited to journal articles on green-lean-six

limitations sigma relevant to manufacturing sectors
Type of Qualitative
analysis
Time period of 1990–2021
analysis
Search fields Title, abstract, keywords
Databases Keywords were searched in different combinations from the
renowned databases such as Scopus and Web of Science
Keywords used Green, lean, six sigma, lean manufacturing, LSS,
environmental performance, environmental sustainability,
eco-sustainability, and eco-efficiency
Table A1. Total number 66
Systematic literature of articles used
review protocol in this study

Corresponding author
Amna Farrukh can be contacted at: [email protected]

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