Chapter 9

The Evolutionary Constructs of Flexibility, Agility, and Lean

Linguistic confusion often arises when multiple terms may refer to the same idea or construct. Terms sometimes possess subtle nuances making it difficult to differentiate among them. For example, a single term may ambiguously refer to more than one idea or construct, or linguistic confusion may simply arise, given evolutionary change attributable to acquired learning. This observation can be made today with respect to the management philosophies, constructs, or paradigms of “flexibility,” “agility,” and “lean.”

Numerous manuscripts explaining and contrasting as well as extolling the virtues of attaining these constructs have appeared for more than 40 years. Authors have ...

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