Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the experience of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certified companies, examining their motivations to introduce the standard and their perceived benefits and barriers. In parallel, the research investigated the knowledge...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare ISO 9001 certified and non-certified manufacturing companies with regard to performance measures, both financial and non-financial. Design/methodology/approach – A research study was carried out in 140 Greek manufacturing companies by means...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether investment in a quality system leads to process management. Do firms that have invested in documenting their processes in a quality system also manage their processes? Design/methodology/approach – The research question is...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the order or the strategy of management system standards (MSSs) implementation in an organization determines the level of integration of its standardized MSSs. Design/methodology/approach – Groups of organizations that follow...

Purpose – The aim of this study is to compare the diffusion of certifications under two quality management systems (QMSs) in the tourism sector in Spain: the generic ISO 9001 international standard; and the Spanish industry‐specific “Q” standard. Design/methodology/approach – The study...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess to what extent the loss of the ISO 9001 certification affects the decertified firms’ financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – Using standard event study methods, this paper matches a sample of 143 Portuguese companies that lost...

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the practice of quality management framework as a strategic tool for public management. Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts with a basic process‐based model; it then enhances the model with the quality management principles for continuous...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the application and the level of integration of internal and external audits in organizations that are registered to multiple management system standards. Design/methodology/approach – Using descriptive analyses, this work examines the manner...

Purpose – Continual improvement within management systems is essential to ensure the continued relevance of implemented systems and to mitigate stagnant and ineffective systems. South African abattoir managers utilise a regulated food safety system called the hygiene management system (HMS) to...

Purpose – There are many arguments in the literature on environmental management stating that companies that have a significant environmental performance tend to be more competitive, because environmental management tends to generate positive effects on their operational performance. Despite...