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Responses from over 500 companies relating to their experiences with ISO 9000 implementation are presented. Companies were categorized according to ownership: U S-owned (Type U ) and foreign-owned (Type F ) manufacturing ® rms. The results reveal the importance and the dual role of documentation as a critical factor necessary to obtain ISO 9000 registration: (1) as the critical element requiring the highest level of eOE ort in the registration process; and (2) as one of the key potential barriers to successful implementation. Increasing market share is the highest rated reason for achieving ISO 9000 registration. ISO 9000 registered companies expect a high degree of improvement in product design, process design, product quality, communication , and supplier relations. The ® ndings also reveal that there is no signi® cant diOE erence between the two ® rm ownership types for all variables tested, indicating that the ISO 9000 standards appear universal in applicability.

ISO 9000 certification serves as an entré into the global marketplace. European firms have been the most prolific in obtaining ISO 9000 certification. The certification experiences of 11 European firms are described. On‐site interviews and questionnaires were used to identify: the obstacles encountered during the implementation effort; the impacts certification had on operational factors; and the ISO 9000 elements requiring the greatest resources. Results suggest that firms of different sizes, in different industries, in different countries have similar experiences with respect to the obstacles, benefits, and effort associated with ISO 9000 certification. This information may facilitate certification by companies in countries seeking to penetrate international markets.

Examines three important issues related to the ISO 9000 registration experiences of American, German and Japanese firms operating in the United States. The three issues are reasons for seeking registration, cost and effort to register and operational requirements for achieving registration. The case study method was used for this project. Indicates competitive pressures as the most common reason for seeking registration. Shows significant variation in costs and levels of effort needed to achieve registration, though none of the firms invested more than 1 per cent of their total available work hours. Suggests no commonality in operational strategy when pursuing registration.

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