Lean and agile: an epistemological reflection

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to contribute to the discussion of treating the concepts of lean and agile in isolation or combination by presenting an alternative view from complexity thinking on these concepts, considering an epistemological approach to this topic. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts an epistemological approach, using the complexity thinking as the dominant paradigm from which to investigate the concepts and principles of lean and agile. Findings – The epistemological approach to the topic clearly reveals the opposition between two thinking principles: the principle of simplicity and the principle of complexity. Next, the authors evaluated how the complexity thinking principles of Morin may permit the two different ways of thinking to be reconciled. They find out that, in an organization, lean and agile are not only inseparable but also interdependent. Practical implications – The paper shows how the concepts of lean and agile can be combined, which may be of help to managers and project leaders to adopt from both practices and tools to improve their competitiveness. Originality/value – The novelty of this paper is the presentation of an alternative approach to the concepts of lean and agile, using an epistemological point‐of‐view. The paper deepens the understanding of the lean and agile concepts by applying the complexity paradigm as proposed by Edgar Morin. Furthermore, it proposes self‐organizing teams for possible unification of both concepts.