A longitudinal study of the ISO 9000 (1994) series' contribution towards TQM in Greek industry

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of time on ISO 9000's contribution to total quality management and performance improvement. Design/methodology/approach -Initial empirical research was conducted in Greek certified companies to evaluate their motives for certification and the benefits gained from it across eight basic total quality management (TQM) categories. The results of the survey verify the hypothesis that ISO 9000 certification can serve as a good first step towards TQM, since performance improvement is statistically significant in all TQM-related issues. However, in order for ISO 9000 certification to serve as a good first step towards TQM, performance improvement should continue to grow even after certification. For this reason, a second survey was carried out in the same companies after a three-year period. Findings -The results prove that although the standard's implementation helps companies to achieve an initial improvement in their quality performance, it cannot guarantee that this improvement will continue after certification. Research limitations/implications -Future research should focus on the contribution of the new ISO 9000:2000 series and its ability to re-boost performance improvement in certified organisations. Practical implications -The paper shows that ISO 9000 certification can be used as the "first" but not the "last" step towards quality improvement. Although the standard's implementation helps companies to achieve an initial improvement in their quality performance, it cannot guarantee that this improvement continues after certification. Originality/value -The paper provides a longitudinal study of ISO 9000's contribution to TQM and operational performance improvement.

Quality assurance and satisfaction with their results: an application to the implementation of EN 9100 standard in the Spanish aerospace sector

“…In this respect, most studies indicate that time is a positive factor in the appearance of the beneficial effects we have mentioned, which are caused by adhering to ISO 9001 (Romano, 2000;Climent, 2005;Corbett et al, 2005). Nonetheless, it is also possible to find studies that maintain the opposite (Tsiotras y Gotzamani, 1996;Jones et al, 1997;Leung et al, 1999;Casadesús et al, 2004;Gotzamani et al, 2006), which seems to indicate that the time factor may be conditioned by the sector under observation and/or the type of internal or external positive effect being analysed.…”

A Mediating Factor of Consumer Trust in ISO 9000 Implementation in Relation to Customer Satisfaction: A Study on Internal Perceptions of Indonesian Manufacturing Companies

“…The findings from the study by Gotzamani and Theodorakioglou (2006) reveal that many companies fail to achieve the goals of ISO 9000 standardization, due to low commitment of top management to quality and due to the fact that the main motivation behind standardization is merely for the companies to get acknowledgement. Dauglas et al (1999) believes that companies will get more advantages upon ISO 9000 implementation when there is good and appropriate internal motivation.…”

“…Another study by Gotzamani and Theodorakioglou (2006) reveals that many companies have failed to achieve the ultimate goal of ISO 9000 due to low commitment on quality shown by the top management and to the superficial motivation in the adoption of the standards-that is only for prestige and acknowledgement. The results of studies which oppose the positive correlation between ISO 9000 and customer satisfaction shall become a good topic to investigate.…”

Determining factors of the benefits derived from the implementation of EN 9100 Standards

“…On the contrary, the development of these products is the result of the collaboration of a number of systems and subsystems manufacturers, together with other specialized companies, which leads to considerable subcontracting relations, as well as a progressive internationalization of manufacturing and development activities (TEDAE, 2010). This degree of complexity, subcontracting and internationalization, along with the fact that "security" is a basic element supporting the activity of this sector, implies that aerospace products are subject to high demands regarding quality and reliability issues; hence the standards of quality in the sector are some of the most demanding in the industrial fi eld (Grijalbo & Prida, 2005). Standardization is a mechanism that favors exchange and international trade in today's global economy, removing the obstacles that arise from each country practices (Heras & Boiral, 2013) and providing answers to the international character of the joint projects among companies located in different countries that are common in this industry.…”

“…Previous studies in the fi eld of EN 9100 Standards are not very numerous; some of them focus on describing the standards' general characteristics, as well as their main differences with respect to IS0 9001 (Beltran, 2002;Juny, 2005;Gutierrez, 2008); others describe the level of implementation of the EN 9100 Standards, which in major manufacturers and suppliers of the sector is widespread, while it is more unequal in second and third level suppliers (Grijalbo & Prida, 2005); other studies include models and guidelines to adhere to these standards (IAT, 2003). Finally, other studies describe how was EN 9100 implemented in some of the major aerospace companies, as EADS, SENER, etc.…”