Abstract
Continuous improvement practices are increasingly common among all kinds of companies as a means to achieve business excellence. However, the reasons why companies implement continuous improvement might vary a lot. This article presents data on the motivations that induce companies to develop continuous improvement initiatives. The data were collected through a survey. Of the 209 companies surveyed, 109 answered it. The dataset includes information about the main characteristics of the company (size, sector) together with information about the main reasons to set up continuous improvement management practices. The dataset is available in excel format. The authors consider that these data are useful not only for researchers but also for consultants and for those practitioners interested in decision sciences.