How to be Lean and Sustainable : A startup perspective

Abstract: Abstract Background: Companies are under pressure to do more with less and at the same time they are affected by market needs such as customer demand, being sustainable and innovative in order to survive in the competitive market. There is a need to work with continuous improvements of the company performance considering the social, economic and environmental aspect. Research has shown that there is a relationship between lean management and corporate sustainability. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to understand to what extent the concepts of lean and sustainability are implemented in a startup and how they relate to each other. Method: The study is based on a qualitative research method with focus on the theory, which gave this thesis a deductive character. We wanted to develop a deeper understanding of how and when a startup can apply a lean method and how it can be sustainable. We applied a case study research method and the qualitative data was collected by conducting a document analysis with coding. Conclusion: The results show that the concepts of lean and sustainability are intertwined and that they can and should be considered in a startup - aiming to build a business model, responding to stakeholder demand, and improving the corporate sustainability performance.