LEAN AGILE PRACTICES AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION FIRM IN LAGOS

Abstract

Off-site construction (OSC) is gaining prominence as a strategy to improve efficiency in Nigeria’s building sector; however, the social sustainability of OSC firms, particularly workforce retention and safety, remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how Lean-Agile Practices influence social sustainability outcomes in Lagos-based OSC firms. Anchored on Stakeholder Theory and the Socio-technical System theory (STS), the research focuses on the effects of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Just-In-Time (JIT) practices on employee retention and safety. Data were randomly collected from 180 industry professionals and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that both VSM and JIT significantly improve employee retention and safety, with VSM making the highest contribution to employee retention. These results affirm that Lean-Agile tools can serve as strategic resources for advancing social sustainability, beyond their conventional role in operational efficiency. The study contributes to Lean-Agile and sustainability literature by providing empirical evidence from the OSC context in a developing economy. Practical recommendations are provided for OSC firms to integrate Lean-Agile methodologies with social performance objectives to foster safer and more inclusive work environments.