Dr. Veronica Narváez

Bio

Veronica Narváez, Ed.D. (Learning and Organizational Change '25), is the Business Transformation Leader - Trane Commercial HVAC (Americas) for Trane Technologies in Dallas, TX. She is a bilingual industrial engineer with a master’s in engineering management and deep expertise in continuous improvement, applying Lean and Six Sigma methodologies across diverse operational environments. Known for her strength in change management, she builds collaborative, high-performing teams and leads initiatives spanning capacity planning, process design, and performance optimization. Dr. Narváez has guided cross-functional teams across multiple sites and industries, consistently delivering measurable results, with many projects achieving improvements of over 30%.

Dissertation

Lean In to Lean Empowerment: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study on the Relationship Between Lean Implementation and Workplace Empowerment for Women Lean Practitioners

Committee Members

• Corina Kaul, PhD (Chair)
• Melanie S. Meyer, PhD
• Kevin Scott, PhD

Abstract

Workplace empowerment remains a persistent challenge for women, particularly in male-dominated industries where structural and cultural barriers often restrict participation in decision-making and advancement. Low empowerment is associated with burnout, disengagement, and turnover, whereas supportive practices foster inclusion, problem-solving, and sustained improvements. Although Lean emphasizes respect for people alongside continuous improvement, limited scholarship has examined how Lean practices interact with women’s empowerment in the workplace.

This convergent mixed methods study explored the relationship between Lean implementation and workplace empowerment for women Lean practitioners. Quantitatively, I measured perceptions of Lean implementation using Kaltenbrunner et al.’s (2019) Lean in Healthcare Questionnaire (LiHCQ) and two factors in Matthews et al.’s (2003) Organizational Empowerment Scale (OES). I analyzed data (n = 104) using simple linear regression to examine whether Lean Sum predicted workplace empowerment. Qualitatively, I conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 6) leveraging Liker’s (2021) 4P model and empowerment constructs, using multiple rounds of coding. In integrating the quantitative and qualitative threads, I developed two meta-themes.

My quantitative results indicated that Lean Sum significantly predicted both dynamic structural framework (DSF) and control of workplace decisions (CWD). Qualitatively, I developed two thematic statements. First, each woman Lean practitioner in this study emphasized that structural frameworks—including strategic collaboration, continuous improvement systems, and empowering leadership—were essential to fostering a workplace where they felt empowered to contribute and drive improvement, although their own empowerment experiences were not always consistent. Second, women Lean practitioners in this study described how their ability to participate in workplace decisions was shaped by the extent to which their environment empowered them to influence work processes and shape their role. 

In integrating the quantitative results and qualitative findings, I developed two meta-themes. First, qualitatively, women Lean practitioners described structural supports of strategic collaboration, continuous improvement systems, and empowering leadership as a foundation for empowerment, converging with the quantitative result that Lean Sum significantly predicted DSF. Second, qualitatively, women Lean practitioners described empowerment as rooted in their ability to influence work processes and shape their roles through participation in workplace decisions, converging with the quantitative result that Lean Sum significantly predicted CWD.  

What Faculty Say

Dr. Narváez’s study addresses a critical gap at the intersection of Lean implementation and workplace empowerment for women—two areas rarely examined together. By focusing on women Lean practitioners, a population largely absent from existing research, her work brings needed attention to equity in operational environments. Using a rigorous convergent mixed methods design, she demonstrates that perceptions of Lean implementation significantly predict key dimensions of workplace empowerment, while qualitative findings illuminate how leadership, collaboration, and decision-making practices shape those experiences. Her study offers both a meaningful scholarly contribution and actionable insights for organizations seeking to build more inclusive and empowering workplace cultures.