Just‐in‐time implementation in the public sector : An empirical examination

The effective implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) in the US public sector is examined in this empirical study. Specifically, the relationships between organizational modification efforts prior to JIT implementation, problems encountered during implementation and JIT success are investigated using a sample of 86 public sector organizations. The results of this research seem to support the notion that JIT, as a form of “managerialism”, has the potential to increase the operational efficiency, service quality and organizational effectiveness of public sector organizations. However, for this potential to be achieved, public sector organizations, like their private sector counterparts, must be willing to modify their procedures and operations. The potential benefits of JIT to public sector organizations are not in doubt. However, the art of designing the right JIT implementation strategy for such organizations is debatable. Therefore, issues related to these concerns are worthy of future research. This study is a modest contribution toward that end.