Integration of standardized management systems: does the implementation order matter?

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

Purpose

This study attempts to examine the performance differences between firms with and without integrated management systems (IMSs), and the impact of three integration strategies (i.e. implementing quality management system (QMS) first, then environmental management system (EMS) (QMS + EMS); implementing EMS first, then QMS (EMS + QMS); implementing QMS and EMS simultaneously (QMS − EMS)) on firm performance to reveal the IMS–performance relationship and provide empirical evidence.

Design/methodology/approach

Two panel datasets were collected during 2009–2019. This study used the Mann–Whitney non-parametric test and a sample of 33,155 observations from 4,316 Chinese listed firms to compare the performance differences between the IMS and non-IMS groups through performance indicators. This study also examined the effects of three integration strategies on firm performance using a cross-sectional time-series feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) regression model and a sample of 11,289 observations from 2,037 firms.

Findings

The results show that significant performance differences exist between IMS and non-IMS firms; however, the performance of firms with an IMS is not always better than that of firms without IMS. Furthermore, the simultaneous integration strategy has a positive impact, whereas sequential integration strategies (QMS + EMS and EMS + QMS) negatively affect firm performance. Compared with the EMS + QMS strategies, the QMS + EMS strategies have a more prominent effect on firm performance. Simultaneous strategies are more effective than sequential strategies.

Practical implications

Firms should fully consider the potential benefits and costs associated with the difficulties of IMS implementation and the implementation order of different management systems and the potential effects of the management systems in different conditions. Firms also should try to develop internal capabilities through implementing different integration strategies.

Originality/value

By comparing performance differences between firms with and without IMS, this study enriches the understanding of the performance benefits of IMS implementation in the Chinese context. By examining the impact of integration strategies that follow different sequences on firm performance, this study promotes an in-depth understanding of the integration strategies and their performance implications beyond simple descriptions and also provides new insights into operations strategy models.

The Identification of Common Models Applied for the Integration of Management Systems: A Review

The paper presents a synthesis of strategies, benefits, and barriers in the integration management systems (IMS) implementation at the organizational level. The research is based on an assessment of 103 papers, 7 books, 12 standards, and 7 sites. The analysis of works aims to highlight the common integration models of several IMS, aspects related to IMS implementation, benefits of IMS implementations, and the nature of integration strategies. The research results present valuable information which can be used by top managers of organizations, certification bodies, and consulting organizations to encourage the implementation of integrated management systems.

Integrated management systems as a driver of sustainability performance: exploring evidence from multiple-case studies

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of integrated management systems (IMSs) on sustainability (based on the triple bottom line (TBL) concept). To accomplish this objective, this paper seeks to answer the following research questions: How can IMS impact organizational sustainability performance? And, how the key challenges of IMS can influence companies in practice?

Design/methodology/approach

A case-based approach is used based on the following four cases from different sectors: an electric power distributor; an environmental consulting firm; a public transport firm; and a firm with a broad portfolio of equipment, products and provisions for industrial services in different markets.

Findings

The results show that the integration of management systems was driven by the companies' strategies toward sustainability. The stakeholders' perception is that a firm's image as a sustainable company also enhances environmental and social performance. The economic performance was not emphasized. Companies noted that the main challenge was motivating and engaging human resources.

Originality/value

This paper shows that sustainability was not a motivation for implementing an IMS. But, implementing an IMS was a driver of sustainability performance. Also, the relationship between IMS and organizational performance can be presented based on TBL perspectives, and implementing an IMS can be challenging in practice.

Human capital routines and sustainability trade-offs

Purpose

Sustainable operations management is characterized by environmental, social and operational goals. The implementation of routines to protect and direct the effective use of human capital is proposed to potentially improve all three dimensions. However, functional managers with overlapping responsibilities at the plant-level might implement human capital routines based on their individual functional schemas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether functional managers have conflicting perceptions of human capital routines, due to narrow perceptions benefiting their own functional domain, and thus generate trade-offs.

Design/methodology/approach

A combination of matched survey and archival data from 198 manufacturing plants is used to explore the degree to which functional managers have conflicting perceptions of human capital routines and the effects of these perceptions on sustainability outcomes.

Findings

The results indicate that on average functional managers have conflicting perceptions that generate trade-offs between sustainability dimensions. However, when functional managers had a shared perception better outcomes on all sustainability dimensions are shown. Thus, human capital routines can be a powerful tool for sustainability only if senior management can promote a shared schema across functional managers.

Originality/value

Differently than most previous studies assuming shared sustainability goals within an organization, this study considers a multiplicity of functional actors with potentially varying perceptions about sustainability goals and links these to organizational routine implementation and outcomes. Additionally, the dynamic and subjective nature of organizational routines, such as human capital routines, is proposed to explain contradictory impacts in a multi-objective setting such as sustainable operations management.

Obtaining laboratory accreditation - required activities

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to describe the activities needed to meet specified requirements to assist laboratory staff running tests and calibrations and to obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The relevant literature that contributes to establishing activities that help laboratory staff to obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation was studied. Laboratory researchers specializing in electro-medical equipment quality control were questioned about the criteria to be observed when selecting, developing and validating analytical steps.

FINDINGS

Results revealed the analytical method criteria to be observed, which demonstrated their essentially quantitative nature.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study presents a model that improves selecting, developing and validating analytical steps and contributes to producing reliable test and calibration results. These improvements can help laboratory testing and calibration to meet clients' needs, satisfy specified requirements and provide reliable results.

Selective integration of management systems: a case study in the construction industry

Purpose

Despite the widely recognized benefits of integrating management systems, many multi-certified organizations continue to implement two or more systems separately. This can happen either through ignorance or by deliberate intent. Focusing on the second reason, the purpose of this paper is to examine a number of factors that can lead an organization to consciously choose not to integrate all of its management systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a case study of a construction company that has integrated the environmental management system and the occupational health and safety management system – which implies that the company is familiar with the practice of integration – while choosing to implement the quality management system separately from the other two.

Findings

The findings of this study show that the reasons that led the company not to integrate all of its systems are not so much related to the compatibility of these systems, but are much deeper and have implications that touch upon its basic principles and values. Despite the occurrence of some organizational and operational problems (such as complexity of administrative issues and bureaucracy), the separate implementation of the systems allowed the company to preserve both the balance between the powers of its executives and the ability to attach special importance to each area: quality, environment, health and safety.

Originality/value

This study will be useful in order to understand that selective integration of management systems is based on the belief that integration is not ade factodesirable goal, especially when the estimated cost-benefit ratio of non-integration is better than that of integration.

Quality and Environmental Management Linkage: A Review of the Literature

This article presents a conceptual and empirical review of the literature related to the link between the different perspectives, models, and tools associated with Quality Management and Environmental Management. Several academic works identified in the literature that aimed to establish conceptual similarities between QM and EM are reviewed and discussed. In general, terms, the scholarly literature suggests that the main quality practices and programs associated with the Quality Management paradigm—such as ISO 9001 and Total Quality Management—facilitate the adoption of environmental practices associated with corporate Environmental Management. However, there is evidence of certain limitations driven by different biases, whether or not they are recognized in the reviewed publications. The concentration on some avenues of research focused on very detailed aspects of the linkage between QM and EM is discussed. Conversely, lines that have been overlooked and are in need for more research were also identified. The implications for scholars, such as suggestions for further research, are included as a contribution of the article.

A case study of a simultaneous integration in an SME

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the simultaneous implementation of an integrated management system (IMS) in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and its impact on costs.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a case study, the paper presents and analyzes the implementation of the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management system (MS) standards. The organization analyzed is an SME of the heating and air conditioning sector that had no MSs implemented (common in the sector) and decided to implement an IMS based on both function-specific MS standards (MSSs) and also achieving the separated certification. The analysis of expected and real costs is also presented.

Findings

The results show that a simultaneous integration is possible and the cost analysis evidences the improvement of the organization’s efficiency. The certificates for both MSSs were also achieved. These findings help in confirming theoretical statement posed in the literature of the integration of MSs: integration strategy, methodology and level. The organization values this integrated implementation as very positive internally and externally, as this is one of the first organizations of the sector implementing and integrating the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Originality/value

Although studies analyzing empirically the integration of MSs have been widely published in recent years, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers analyzing the implementation of an IMS directly and analyzing its costs. In addition, this paper provides evidence that those organizations implementing integration later than others, can learn from the beginners’ experience.

The contribution of quality tools and integration of quality management systems to the organization

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution from the use of quality tools and the implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) to the management of an organization. The question is if these aspects have an impact on the important elements of a QMS, like critical success factors (CSFs), but more on the performance derived from its functioning.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was created and addressed to Greek companies which were certified with at least one QMS standard, in this case ISO 9001:2008.

Findings

It was concluded that companies implementing more than one QMS and more than nine quality tools gave more importance to specific CSFs of the QMS and also displayed better performance from the rest of the companies. The final conclusion is that the utilization of tools, techniques, and the implementation of more than one QMS – integration of management systems (MSs) – can contribute to many aspects of organization functioning.

Research limitations/implications

This study was based on the perception (subjective data) of only one quality manager/representative of each company. The companies were not asked about specific actions they have established to integrate their MSs.

Practical implications

This paper provides a closest look to the utilization of more than one QMS and the use of quality tools. These actions, as concluded, can play an important role in the management of organizations, and managers could use them in an appropriate way.

Originality/value

This paper aims to evaluate the value of QMS integration and the utilization of quality tools to specific issues of QMS as CSFs and performance in Greek companies.

Seeing the Immaterial: A New Instrument for Evaluating Integrated Management Systems’ Maturity

Integrated management systems (IMSs) can already be considered a proven tool to help companies cope with the challenges associated with staying competitive in the face of dynamic stakeholder requirements. The present paper proposes a new instrument designed to evaluate and communicate the maturity achieved by an integrated management system (IMS) for responding properly to the requirements of its reference standards in a consolidated manner. The approach mainly aims to highlight the level of integration achieved on common requirements of the component standards and to determine the extent to which they work together as a whole. At the same time, it is useful to identify the needs for improvement in the system as a whole or in its sub-systems. The proposed methodology uses the transmutation in the RGB color space (red–green–blue) of the process audits’ results achieved under each standard, followed by the analysis of the IMS characteristics, with tools specific to the color space, based on the affinities between the two domains. To sustain the thoroughness of this approach, a case study of an integrated system for an industrial company is presented, analyzing the situation from two different evolution stages of the IMS. The approach is presented as a proof-of-concept, without large scale validation.

The order and level of management standards implementation

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the order of management system standards (MSSs) implementation in an organization and its level of integration are changed during the time of the standard implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey was send to 885 organizations located in Poland which registered at least two MSSs selected from popular international standards, e.g.: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 22000 or other international management standard. There were 81 valid questioners obtained. Studied organizations where classify into a three different groups with similar level of MS integration.

Findings

– Different standards can be implemented simultaneously, and this tendency is more popular nowadays than few years ago. In most cases time of implementation of MSSs in second and further round of implementation is shorter than during the implementation of first standards. The group of organizations with a higher level of MSSs integration is the group where the integrated systems operates for a shorter period of time, than in the other groups. While in a group of organizations where MSSs are on the lowest level of integration, the average period of time of MSS operating is the longest.

Originality/value

– The paper analyses order and time of systems implementation that allow organizations to achieve higher levels of integration and presents a possible pattern for the companies initiating the integration process.

Signaling strategies for ISO 26000: a firm-level approach

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to shed light on some important limitations of the ISO 26000 standard for corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the credible communication of corporate CSR claims. The article aims to identify and explore firm-level strategies to signal adherence to the standard effectively and their legitimacy consequences for the standard.

Design/methodology/approach

The identification of firm-level signaling strategies is mainly derived from an institutional description of the ISO 26000 standard and based on anecdotal evidence from current business practice, initiatives that have been taken worldwide by organizations such as national standards institutes, the ISO 26000 text and adjacent ISO documents, including ISO post-publication surveys. The article is grounded in signalling theory.

Findings

Five signaling strategies for firms are derived and explored which may reduce information asymmetries and engage in efficacious signaling of their underlying CSR quality and thus guide the communication of firms’ adherence to the ISO 26000 standard.

Research limitations/implications

The findings urge to empirically investigate the use of ISO 26000 signaling strategies including their legitimacy consequences for firms.

Practical implications

The findings of this article have implications for decisions firms make when considering working with ISO 26000 and communicating their adherence, notably regarding the enhancement of the credibility of their CSR claims. Also, it offers suggestions for certification organizations, national standards bodies and policy makers that want to encourage the adoption of CSR standards, ISO 26000 in particular.

Originality/value

This article is the first one to address inherent signaling problems of ISO 26000 and to identify signaling strategies to counter these problems in a structured way.

Design of an integrated management system (IMS) in a government-run medical evaluation organisation

Purpose

– The authors present the application of the López-Fresno approach in designing an integrated management system (IMS) for an aviation company to the development of an IMS in a government-run organization responsible for the medical evaluation of work disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to share the design process, with the intention of showing that this approach is applicable to other sectors and proposing generalization and applicability strategies to other smaller government entities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study involves two phases. Phase I applies the López-Fresno approach to design a basic IMS-I and ends with a European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) evaluation, whose suggestions were taken into consideration for the final design of IMS-II during phase II. The data were obtained from the organization's own functioning. There was a significant degree of personal involvement by the authors, external consultants and members of the management committee in areas ranging from the approach itself to the various components analyzed.

Findings

– The approach led to a better use of human and material resources and produced various advances in both internal and external communication and significant progress in employee motivation in their dealings with users and stakeholders.

Originality/value

– The study offers guidelines and recommendations for designing an IMS adapted to small, compact, administrative organizations that operate with stakeholders with highly disparate outlooks and interests, with different quality levels, in a context related to competitiveness and economic development.

Quality Management System and Risk Management System: Similarities and Possibilities for Integration

Today organizations are required to deal with and manage a variety of challenges in their day-to-day activities. Examples of these challenges are issues related to quality of products/services, environment, employees’ safety and health, corporate social responsibilities, risks and many others. In response to these challenges, several Management Systems (MSs) and Management Systems Standards (MSSs) have been introduced in recent years to systematically guide an organization to cope with these challenges. The need to create Integrated Management System (IMS) is the result of increase in the number of these MSs and MSSs. There are also evidences in literature and practice that organizations have slowly started to tackle the IMS issue. The journal papers’ related to MSs Integration field, highlight that in theory any two MSs or even more are potentially capable of being integrated. In this study, it will be shown that the attitudes and approaches behind the two important function-specific MSSs developed by ISO Organization, i.e. Quality Management System (QMS) and Risk Management System (RMS) are largely similar and complementary. Hence, the integration of these two MSs seems justifiable. The main driver for such integration is to reduce the number of MSs in an organization and hence to decrease the number of resources employed. Also it will be demonstrated that the integration of these two MSs will result in more significant background, cultural context, techniques, procedures and synergy to an organization.