Does quality management improve the internalization of environmental practices? An empirical study in Africa

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of quality management in the internalization of environmental practices. A qualitative study based on interviews with 35 practitioners was conducted in three African countries (Cameroon, Senegal, and Ivory Coast). The results highlight the contrasting roles played by the main reference model for quality management-International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001-in the internalization of the international standard for corporate environmental management-ISO 14001-with positive points related to formal and documentary aspects and perverse effects such as increased bureaucracy and a focus on quality at the expense of the environment. The results also point to four configurations of integration of environmental practices according to the level of quality management internalization and the level of institutional pressure to adopt corporate environmental management: poor integration, partial integration, substantial integration, and sustainable integration.

Examining the link between integrated management systems and firm performance: do the integration strategies matter?

“…Thereby, the efficiency of sequentially implementing different MSs is increased, ultimately resulting in a high degree of integration (Bernardo et al, 2017). Tayo Tene et al (2021) showed that the prior adoption of ISO 9001 promoted the internalization of ISO 14001 practices. Bernardo et al (2018) also showed that the internalization of IMS gives firms more benefits.…”

“…Firms that engage in the continuous internalization of quality management practices can establish a long-term strategic perspective and pursue short-term performance goals (Sroufe and Curkovic, 2008). This parallel approach contributes to the internalization of future EMS practices (Tayo Tene et al, 2021;Wiengarten and Pagell, 2012) and the consequent increase in performance benefits (Bernardo et al, 2015). and Simon and Douglas (2013) found that organizations that have adopted all QMS þ EMS strategies are able to derive more IJOPM 43,2 internal benefits from IMS, such as task simplification, organizational efficiency improvements, organizational culture improvements and better utilization of audit results.…”

Comparing the uncomparable? An investigation of car manufacturers' climate performance

“…More critical approaches have highlighted that the measures implemented are often superficial and that organizations engage in greenwashing practices (Guo et al, 2020;Marquis et al, 2016;Talbot & Boiral, 2018;van Halderen et al, 2016). These measures are not necessarily intended to substantially change practices and improve performance but rather to appear legitimate in the eyes of stakeholders by taking actions that are often symbolic and superficial (Cho et al, 2015;Perego & Kolk, 2012;Tayo Tene et al, 2021). The lack of coherence between companies' empathic messaging about the urgency of climate issues and the practices they actually put into place shows the importance of transparent carbon reporting, which can be defined as a set of quantitative and qualitative information that relates to a firm's past and forecasted carbon emissions levels; its exposure to and financial implications of climate change associated risk and opportunities; and its past and future actions to manage these risks and opportunities.…”