Organisational learning and Six Sigma deployment readiness evaluation: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of organisational learning in connection with assessment of Six Sigma readiness. Different forms that a possible deployment can take in the organisation's context based on the degree of readiness are explored. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data are derived from 12 in‐depth semi‐structured interviews of selected employees having different functions in the studied organisation, a global distribution system and information technology (IT) solutions provider to the travel and tourism industry. In addition, they include participant observation and documentation. The interview questions were built based on a modified version of Kettinger and Grover readiness assessment framework. Findings – The study shows that organisational learning can provide a useful framework for assessing Six Sigma readiness in an IT organisation. A synthesized model is proposed combining the frameworks of an adapted Kettinger and Grover model and the core disciplines of the learning organisation. Further, the results suggest that having Six Sigma as a company‐wide strategy may not prove useful or suitable in the current context. However, the analysis shows that having Six Sigma as an improvement programme provides a structure for the improvement work and the define, measure, analyze, improve and control methodology is needed to address some current inefficiencies and problems. Research limitations/implications – This is a single case study and the possibility of generalising this finding to other contexts remains uncertain. Therefore, more research is needed. The procedure of using organisational learning as an assessment framework for Six Sigma readiness has been shown to be useful. Practical implications – Implementing Six Sigma means a large investment and therefore it is important to make the right deployment approach. Having one integrated readiness assessment model should be useful for companies when assessing their readiness. Originality/value – Knowledge of a Six Sigma readiness evaluation in an organisational learning context should be valuable for many organisations. In addition, research regarding Six Sigma in software companies is limited.