노동투자 효율성에 대한 린 운영의 비선형적 영향력 분석

This study empirically investigates the nonlinear effects of lean operations on labor investment efficiency. From the traditional perspective, lean operations aim to maximize efficiency by minimizing unnecessary waste and maintaining slack resources at the lowest level. However, as uncertainty in the business environment has intensified, concerns have emerged that excessive lean practices may undermine organizational flexibility and resilience. In particular, while lean operations can enhance labor utilization, overly aggressive lean practices may result in inefficient labor investment. In this regard, this study examines whether there exists an optimal degree of lean operation maximizing labor investment efficiency. The empirical analysis is based on an unbalanced panel dataset comprising 23,191 firm-year observations from 1,439 publicly listed manufacturing firms in Korea over the period 1983 to 2024. Panel regression results reveal a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between lean operation levels and labor investment efficiency, indicating that moderate lean implementation enhances labor investment efficiency, whereas excessively high or low levels may be detrimental. Robustness checks addressing endogeneity concerns support the validity of the findings. This study provides empirical evidence that pursuing lean strategies without consideration of optimal thresholds may reduce labor investment efficiency. It contributes both theoretically and practically by emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to lean implementation, particularly from an integrated perspective that bridges operations and human resource management.