Kuwait’s Construction Sector: Investigating the Industry’s Conformance to Lean

Question: What are the current behavioral features of the local construction sector? Which practices can be improved to overcome the low productivity of the construction sector in Kuwait? What is the present Lean Construction (LC) behavioral conformity levels of the Kuwaiti construction sector? How resilient is the sector in adapting LC? Purpose: The aim and purpose of this research is limited to investigating the extent of LC application in behavioral practices using a lean assessment tool developed by Diekmann et al. (2004) to be able to quantify and analyze both the conformity and non-conformity levels to LC, and finally determine the sector’s readiness in adapting LC more extensively. Research Method: A mono method quantitative methodology was deployed to collect and analyze data from 55 self-completed surveys. Findings: The research indicates that the sector exhibits low to moderate levels of conformity to LC in its behavioral aspects of operations, management, and organization. Moreover, the highest scoring main LC principle is Continuous Improvement/Built-in-Quality, and Culture/People is the lowest. This suggests that the sector is familiar to some degree to LC and has good potential to further implement it. Limitations: The survey was distributed to respondents in Kuwait using a non-probability sampling technique, the snowball sampling method. The results are solely based on the feedback given by the participants which might cause some bias in the results. Implications: The paper highlighted the current behavioral shortcomings the sector is projecting in conjunction to the ideal LC practices, LC levels of spread and application, Lean adaptability levels, and have created a benchmark about these points for upcoming research of Kuwait’s construction sector. Value for practitioners: The Kuwaiti construction sector can utilize the findings to develop and/or enhance their operations, management and organization approaches using Lean thinking and principles of practice to increase their productivity, competitiveness, overcome the common construction predicaments and are meeting customer’s requirements in cost, quality and timely delivery. Keywords: Lean Construction, Lean Construction Conformance, Kuwait, Vision 2035, culture, operation, management, organization. Paper type: Case study.