https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0123
The cultural dialectics of standardization and innovation from the Japanese ethos to the global practice of Lean Construction
Zhong Wang1, Walter Davis2, Thomas Bock3, Qipei Mei4, Gaang Lee5 & Vicente A. González6
1PhD Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-7113-34392Associate Professor, Department of Art & Design, Faculty of Art, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected]
3Chair of Building Realization and Robotics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-1278-7440
4Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-1409-3562
5Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-6341-2585
6Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-3863
Abstract
The global construction industry faces a persistent productivity crisis, often attributing the failure of "Lean Construction" implementation to technical rather than cultural misalignments. This paper investigates the cultural dialectics of standardization and Kaizen as Lean principles move from Japan’s collectivist culture to Western individualistic and transactional construction environments. Using a PRISMA 2020 systematic literature review and comparative cultural analysis, the study examines Wa (harmony), Monozukuri (craftsmanship), and Shu-Ha-Ri (mastery stages). It examines the indigenous Japanese concepts of Wa (harmony), Monozukuri (craftsmanship), and Shu-Ha-Ri (stages of mastery) to elucidate how Japanese culture harmonizes strict standardization with continuous innovation, challenging the Western binary view that standardization stifles creativity. The study reviews related works on Kaizen implementation and Standardized Work (SW) in construction, identifying that Western resistance often stems from a "craftsman" identity that views autonomy as the absence of rules. The analysis concludes that successful Lean adoption requires reframing standardization not as a bureaucratic constraint, but as the necessary cultural foundation for innovation and psychological safety.
Keywords
Standardization, continuous improvement/Kaizen, innovation, Lean culture.
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Wang, Z., Davis, W., Bock, T., Mei, Q., Lee, G. & González, V. A.. (2026). The cultural dialectics of standardization and innovation from the Japanese ethos to the global practice of Lean Construction. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 594–605). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0123
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Wang, Z., Davis, W., Bock, T., Mei, Q., Lee, G. & González, V. A.. (2026). The cultural dialectics of standardization and innovation from the Japanese ethos to the global practice of Lean Construction. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0123
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