LOGAN, Utah — The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has announced that “Becoming a Learning Organization While Enhancing Performance: The Case of LEGO” has been selected the receive the Shingo Research Award. This innovative study, published in the International Journal of Operations & Production Management, was written by Thomas Borup Kristensen (Aalborg University Business School, Aarhus, Denmark), Henrik Saabye (Aarhus Universitet, Aalborg, Denmark), and Amy Edmondson (Harvard Business School, Boston, MA).
Highlighting how global toy giant LEGO successfully leveraged Lean principles to transform its support functions and increase organizational learning and performance, this research explores how Lean problem-solving practices, which were originally designed for manufacturing, can be effectively applied in knowledge-based, non-production environments. Particularly noteworthy is the company’s focus on action learning and leaders acting as learning facilitators; rather than simply enforcing processes, leaders have created a culture that encourages reflection, experimentation, and continuous improvement. According to the authors, “Lean principles, when combined with the right leadership behaviors, can unlock not just efficiency, but adaptability and innovation.” The study challenges the common belief that Lean is solely about cost-cutting or efficiency, showing that the method can be a foundation for building a learning organization — especially when applied with a focus on people, not just process.
“Receipt of the Shingo Research Award signifies an author’s significant impact and contribution to advancing the body of knowledge regarding organizational excellence,” said Ken Snyder, executive director of the Shingo Institute. Since its publication in 2017, the study has sparked a whole new strand of research on Lean leadership at multiple organizational levels, including effective teamwork and organizational culture.
The authors will be recognized at the Awards Gala on March 19, 2026, which will be held during the Institute’s 38th Shingo Connect conference in San Diego, California. The event, which will include workshops, site tours, and keynote speakers, is designed to bring professionals from across industries together to learn, connect, and grow with one shared goal: to improve every day.
International thought leaders have affirmed the significance of “Becoming a Learning Organization While Enhancing Performance: The Case of LEGO,” underscoring its contribution to Lean literature and practices:
“This study is a valuable contribution to our understanding of how organizations improve their Lean practices and performance, enable and consolidate learning, and accumulate that learning in a knowledge work context. The organizational setting is quite appropriate, and the identity of the organization strengthens the impact of the findings. The research design is novel and executed with scholarly rigor. In particular, the exploration of perceptions is valuable and introduces a novel approach to understanding organizational development, especially from a Lean management perspective. The findings are relevant and timely for both researchers in the domain and practitioners faced with the expanding nature of knowledge management.”
— Professor Paul Coughlan, Professor in Operations Management, Trinity Business School, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
“This research article makes an exceptional contribution to the Lean literature. It demonstrates with clarity and rigor how Lean problem-solving practices—supported by leaders as learning facilitators—can create immediate performance improvements as well as build the long-term foundations required for the true learning organization. The LEGO case is a rare example of research that is both academically robust and practically relevant.
What makes this work stand out is its ability to bridge a longstanding gap, showing that Lean is not just confined to production but can thrive in knowledge-intensive settings. By combining empirical depth with practical insight, the authors provide valuable guidance for other organizations worldwide. As such, this article is a worthy recipient of the Shingo Research Award.”
— Professor Dr. Daryl Powell, KONGSBERG Chair Professor of Production Management, USN School of Business – Campus Kongsberg, Norway.
“Having supervised Henrik Saabye during his PhD, I am pleased to see how this paper reflects the depth of thinking and collaboration with Thomas Borup Kristensen and Amy Edmondson. The paper makes a unique contribution by showing how Lean problem-solving can evolve into a genuine learning-to-learn intervention, even in a knowledge-intensive environment. The study convincingly demonstrates that leadership focused on facilitating learning not only strengthens organizational learning practices but also drives tangible performance improvements in efficiency and quality. In my own joint work with Henrik and Thomas on data-driven Lean and learning practices, I have also witnessed how such integration can unlock both adaptability and results. This paper stands as an inspiring example of how organizations can reconcile short-term performance goals with long-term learning capacity.”
— Professor Brian Vejrum Waehrens, Engineering & Science, Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University, Denmark.
About the Shingo Research Award
The Shingo Research Award is given to research that significantly extends understanding of the philosophy, principles, or methods of enterprise excellence consistent with the Shingo Model. Redesigned in 2022, the award now exclusively recognizes academic research, with recipients selected by the Shingo Research Advisory Committee.
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. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems, and improvement techniques known as 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 www.shingo.org.