LMC Professional Standards & Ethics 3

Question 1

A lean practitioner is pressured by a plant manager to report a 20% efficiency gain before the quarterly review, but actual gains are only 12%. The practitioner should:

Accepted Answer

Report 12% and document the pressure received

Answer

Accurate reporting is a non-negotiable professional standard; documenting the pressure protects the practitioner and creates an audit trail.

Question 2

The concept of 'genchi genbutsu' (go and see) has an ethical dimension because it:

Accepted Answer

Prevents managers from making decisions based on assumptions rather than facts

Answer

Going to the actual place to verify facts directly is an ethical stance against decision-making based on hearsay, bias, or unverified data.

Question 3

Which scenario represents a conflict of interest that a lean consultant must disclose?

Accepted Answer

Recommending a specific software vendor in which the consultant holds equity

Answer

Financial interest in a recommended vendor creates a conflict of interest that must be disclosed so the client can make an informed decision.

Question 4

A lean team identifies that a proposed waste-reduction change will eliminate 15 jobs. Ethical lean management requires the team to:

Accepted Answer

Communicate transparently with affected employees and work with HR on transition plans

Answer

Ethical lean practice balances operational improvement with genuine respect for workers, which includes honest communication and active support for affected employees.

Question 5

In continuous improvement, 'yokoten' (horizontal deployment of best practices) becomes an ethical issue when:

Accepted Answer

A practice is copied to other sites without verifying its safety and applicability

Answer

Deploying a practice without validating its safety and suitability for the new context can harm workers and operations, making due diligence an ethical obligation.

(LMC) Lean Management Certification Practice Test

(LMC) Lean Management Certification Practice Test

LMC Professional Standards & Ethics 3