From Strategic Intent to Lean Supply Chain Action: Leadership, Middle Managers, and Hoshin Kanri-Like Practices

This study examines how leadership translates strategic intent into Lean supply chain action and the role of Hoshin Kanri. We conducted 22 semi-structured telephone interviews with senior executives, middle managers, engineers or supervisors, and a consultant from Moroccan industrial organizations between March and May 2026, and analyzed the notes using deductive and inductive thematic coding. Leadership commitment was reflected in visible routines and resource allocation but remained vulnerable to short-term pressures, customer volatility, externally imposed priorities, and limited improvement capacity. Middle managers translated strategic objectives into functional indicators and challenged them with evidence, although targets were harder to revise than action plans. Only two participants used a formal Hoshin Kanri framework; others described similar practices such as annual priority deployment, action planning, and periodic reviews. All participants reported cases where operational feedback led management to revise targets, reallocate resources, or resequence actions; however, dialogue remained concentrated at the operational level, and alignment rarely extended beyond individual organizations. We conceptualize Lean supply chain leadership as continuous strategic translation, distinct from strategy implementation and strategic alignment, and show that Hoshin Kanri mechanisms can operate without formal adoption.