Can just in time and innovation capabilities coexist? An empirical study

While it has been produced substantial evidence on the positive relationship between improvement capabilities and JIT, literature lacks clear evidence on the relationship between innovation capabilities and JIT. This paper seeks to shed some light on the relationship between improvement capabilities, innovation capabilities and JIT. Drawing on the relevant literature, we propose a model that we test using structural equation modeling. Results show that continuous improvement, innovation capabilities, and JIT might coexist within the same plant leading to enhanced operational performances.