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Eileen M. Van Aken

Professor and Department Head

Eileen M. Van Aken

Eileen Van Aken
253 Durham Hall
(MC 0118)
1145 Perry Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061

ResearchGate        Google Scholar

ORCID:   orcid.org/0000-0002-8040-0973

ResearcherID:   E-8561-2010

Scopus ID:   160331-006579

Research Interests

Main Area:  Management Systems Engineering

  • Performance measurement and management systems
  • Improvement system design and implementation
  • Organizational assessment
  • Lean work systems
  • Collaborative work systems

  • Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1995
  • M.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1991
  • B.S., Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Virginia Tech, 1988  

  • ISE 5015 Management of Change, Innovation, and Performance in Organizational Systems I
  • ISE 5016 Management of Change, Innovation, and Performance in Organizational Systems II
  • ISE 4015 Management Systems Theory, Analysis, and Design
  • ISE 4004 Theory of Organization
  • ISE 4984 Organizational Performance Measurement Systems

Please click a title in brown to view the abstract.  Students are indicated with *.

  1. Liu, W.H.*, Asio, S.*, Cross J.F., Van Aken, E.M., and Glover, W. (2015). Understanding team mental models affecting Kaizen event success, Team Performance Management: An International Journal, Vol. 21, Issue 7/8, 361-385.
  2. Glover, W.J.*, Farris, J.A., and Van Aken, E.M. (2015). The relationship between continuous improvement and rapid improvement sustainability, International Journal of Production Research, Vol.53, No. 13, 4068-4086, doi: 10.1080/00207543.2014.991841.
  3. Sahin, A., Terpenny, J.A., Orfi, N., and Van Aken, E.M. (2014). A structured approach to platform-driven product planning, Engineering Management Journal, Vol. 26, No. 2, 10-23, doi: 10.1080/10429247.2014.11432007.
  4. Glover, W.J.*, Farris, J.A., and Van Aken, E.M. (2014). Kaizen events: Assessing the existing literature and convergence of practices, Engineering Management Journal, Vol. 26, No. 1, 39-61, doi: 10.1080/10429247.2014.11432003.
  5. Basole, R.C., Bellamy, M., Clear, T., Dabkowski, M., Monreal, J., Park, H., Valerdi, R., and Van Aken, E.M. (2013). Challenges and opportunities for enterprise transformation research, Journal of Enterprise Transformation, Vol. 3, No. 4, 330-352, doi: 10.1080/19488289.2013.861704.
  6. Di Schiena, R., Letens, G., Van Aken, E.M., and Farris, J.A. (2013). Relationship between leadership and characteristics of learning organizations in deployed military units: An exploratory study, Administrative Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 3, 143-165, doi: 10.3390/admsci3030143.
  7. Glover, W.J.*, Farris, J.A., Van Aken, E.M., and Doolen, T.L. (2013). Kaizen event result sustainability for lean enterprise transformation, Journal of Enterprise Transformation, Vol. 3, No. 3, 136-160. doi: 10.1080/19488289.2013.818596.
  8. Glover, W.J.*, Liu, W.H.*, Farris, J.A., and Van Aken, E.M. (2013). Characteristics of established Kaizen event programs: An empirical study, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 33, No. 9, 1166-1201, doi: 10.1108/IJOPM-03-2011-0119.
  9. Glover, W.J.*, Farris, J.A., Van Aken, E.M., and Doolen, T.L. (2011). Critical success factors for the sustainability of Kaizen event human resource outcomes: An empirical study, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 132, No. 2, 197-213, doi: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.04.005.
  10. Farris, J.A.*, Van Aken, E.M., Letens, G., Chearskul, P.*, and Coleman, G.D. (2011). Improving the performance review process: A structured approach and case application, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 31, No. 4, 376-404, doi: 10.1108/01443571111119524.
  11. Letens, G., Farris, J.A., and Van Aken, E.M. (2011). A multilevel framework for lean product development system design, Engineering Management Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1, 69-85, doi: 10.1080/10429247.2011.11431887.
  12. Farris, J.A.*, Van Aken, E.M., Doolen, T.L. and Worley, J.M.* (2009).  Critical success factors for human resource outcomes in Kaizen events: An empirical study, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 117, No. 1, 42-65, doi: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2008.08.051.
  1. Principal Investigator, Learning Organizations in High-Risk Environments: The Role of Leadership and Performance Measurement, Sponsor: Belgian Armed Forces.
  2. Principal Investigator, Collaborative Research: Determinants of Kaizen Event Success and Sustainability; Sponsor: National Science Foundation.
  3. Principal Investigator, Longitudinal Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Results for ITT Industries; Sponsor: ITT Industries.
  4. Principal Investigator, Assessment, Analysis, and Improvement of Danaher Enterprise Processes; Sponsor: Danaher.
  5. Co-Principal Investigator, Woods to Goods:  Creating a Web-Based Forest Industry Community to Promote Sustainable and Competitive Forest-to-Consumer Value Streams; Sponsor: USDA Forest Service.
  6. Principal Investigator, Assessment, Improvement, and Redesign of Enterprise Performance Measurement and Improvement Practices; Sponsor: AT&T Billing Operations.
  • Editor, Engineering Management Journal, May 2012-present.
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Enterprise Transformation, 2010-present.
  • Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2005-present.
  • Technical Vice President and Member of Technical Operations Board, Institute of Industrial Engineers, (2012-15).
  • ABET Evaluator, 2006-present.
  • U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia, Chair (2002-2004), Vice - Chair (2001-2), Board Member (2000-2005), and Examiner (1998-2000).
  • Fellow (2014), Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), 1986-present.
  • Fellow (2010), American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM), 2002-present.
  • Fellow (2001), World Academy of Productivity Sciences.
  • Member, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), 1992-present.
  • Senior Member, American Society for Quality (ASQ), 1991-present.