Lean tools promoting individual innovation in healthcare

Lean is a management concept that has been implemented in different sectors. This study expands upon lean tools and innovation enabling job resources. Three public sector entities in Sweden participated in a longitudinal quantitative study. Idea generation and idea implementation, as individual innovation, were analyzed. 5S and value stream mapping facilitated employee individual innovation. Hence, these lean tools are considered job resources for such innovation in the initial phase of implementing lean. After controlling for the lean context, job resources and job demands, visual follow‐up boards and standardized work had no significant influence upon individual innovation, while development resources and information as participation promoted individual innovation. These results add to the knowledge of methods and resources promoting individual innovation when initiating a lean implementation.