The interplay between Green Lean Six Sigma practices in the Industry 4.0 era: an engineering perspective

Purpose Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) has emerged as a growing research focus since the onset of the fourth industrial revolution. However, limited understanding of the strategic practices and their interactions – and the underexplored perspectives of professional engineers who operationalize these practices – hampers effective adoption. This study presents a discussion on the subject matter, with a specific focus on investigating the interplay between identified practices that support its implementation in Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized a qualitative multi-method approach, employing a sequence of five steps. To this end, professional engineers were involved since they have a vital role to play as stakeholders both within and outside the industry in tackling developmental challenges. Nevertheless, limited research exists on their perspectives regarding the topic, highlighting the need for further investigation. Findings The findings revealed a structural model that displays the interplay between five practices across four levels, where practices associated with “strategic integrity” and “human resource management,” which have had a correlation, were documented as the basis for implementing the application. Upon interpretation of the ultimate results, the insights of professionals on the contributions of the acknowledged practices as well as the current study are further discussed. Originality/value By centering on the underexplored perspectives of professional engineers, this study qualitatively maps the hierarchical interdependencies among GLSS practices in Industry 4.0 and provides an actionable framework that both advances conceptual debate and guides engineering managers in sequencing implementation priorities.