This study investigates the influence of lean management on entrepreneurial performance and business sustainability, while also examining the mediating role of entrepreneurial performance within student-run enterprises in Indonesia.
A quantitative cross-sectional approach was adopted, utilising survey data collected from 250 student entrepreneurs. The data were analysed using SEM-PLS to assess both direct and indirect relationships.
The results reveal that lean management significantly and positively affects both entrepreneurial performance and business sustainability. In addition, entrepreneurial performance has a significant positive effect on sustainability and partially mediates the relationship between lean management and business sustainability.
This research contributes to the extension of lean management theory into the context of student entrepreneurship in a developing economy, emphasising entrepreneurial performance as a key mechanism linking managerial practices to sustainable outcomes.
The findings are constrained by the study’s cross-sectional design and regional scope; future research should adopt longitudinal approaches and broader contexts to improve generalisability.
Integrating lean principles into entrepreneurship education can improve student venture performance and long-term sustainability.
Tafsir, M., Setiawan, L., Halik, J. B., Endarwati, M. C., Rauf, R. and Massiseng, A. N. A. (2026): The Impact of Lean Management on Entrepreneurial Performance and Business Sustainability: Evidence from Indonesian Student Enterprises. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development (WJEMSD), Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 1-xx. WASD: London, United Kingdom.
