TY  - CONF
TI  - Recognition as an engagement mechanism in Kaizen programs in construction
AU  - Freitas, Melissa A.
AU  - Reck, Raquel H.
AU  - Bonkowski, Pedro H. A.
AU  - Fireman, Marcus C. T.
AD  - Lean Consultant at Climb Consulting Group, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, +55 31 995183808,  melissa@climbgroup.com.br, orcid.org/0009-0004-1824-5054
AD  - PhD and Lean Consultant at Climb Consulting Group, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, +55 51 998711561,  raquel@climbgroup.com.br, orcid.org/0000-0003-1928-3461
AD  - Project Manager at Climb Consulting Group, Caçapava, SP, Brazil, +55 12 992474048,  pedro@climbgroup.com.br, orcid.org/0009-0005-9836-5482
AD  - Founding partner of Climb Consulting Group and PhD candidate at NORIE/UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil,  +55 51 8216-9070, marcus@climbgroup.com.br, orcid.org/0000-0001-5843-4715
ED  - Hamzeh, Farook
ED  - Poshdar, Mani
ED  - Garcia-Lopez,, Nelly P.
ED  - Gan, Vincent
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/22
T2  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
C3  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
CY  - Singapore, Singapore
SP  - 1099
EP  - 1109
DO  - 10.24928/2026/0205
SN  - 2789-0015 (ISSN)
AB  - This paper examines the implementation of a structured Kaizen program in the construction industry, focusing on the tension between initial employee engagement and the difficulty of sustaining continuous improvement. The study analyzes a three-month pilot project in a paving company, which linked Kaizen to an internal recognition system for implemented improvements. The research, descriptive and exploratory in nature, combined operational participation data with a survey of employees. The questionnaire assessed nine dimensions, including knowledge, motivation, cross-functional collaboration, recognition, and psychological safety. The results indicate high conceptual clarity and engagement: 94.4% of participants strongly agree that the program objectives are clear, and 88.9% report increased motivation. However, 72% identify the maintenance of improvements as the main challenge. The findings reveal a central tension: recognition mechanisms stimulate participation but are not sufficient to institutionalize continuous improvement as a sustainable practice. The study contributes to Lean Construction by positioning recognition as a key engagement mechanism, highlighting the need to combine it with governance structures and standardization.
KW  - Kaizen
KW  - lean construction
KW  - recognition
KW  - engagement
KW  - sustainability.
L1  - https://www.iglc.net/papers/details/2508/pdf
UR  - https://www.iglc.net/papers/details/2508
DB  - IGLC.net
LA  - English
N1  - Export date: 04 October 2026
ER  -