Integrating Lean Philosophy and Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on the Social Dimension

In recent decades, the business paradigm has been transforming into the face of global challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity, consolidating sustainability as a strategic pillar that integrates the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. In parallel, Lean Philosophy, focused on eliminating waste and creating value, has been widely adopted as an effective management model. Despite the potential for its integration, literature reveals significant gaps, especially regarding the social dimension, which is often underexplored compared to the environmental and economic dimensions. To address this gap, this study identifies, analyzes, and synthesizes scientific literature on the integration between Lean and sustainability, with a special focus on the social dimension, using a systematic literature review conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 132 articles published between 2011 and 2024 were analyzed, obtained from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases. The results demonstrate a growing convergence between the two concepts, highlighting the centrality of the human factor, namely well-being, safety and health at work, and ethical practices, and identifying challenges and opportunities for future research focused on a more holistic approach to organizational sustainability.