ISO 9001:2000 implementation in the Greek food sector

Improvements in climate and satisfaction after implementing a quality management system in education

The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of applying ISO:9001 on the school climate and satisfaction in schools. This was done by using a Likert-type evaluation instrument consisting of 21 items with an excellent reliability score for the general scale (Cronbach α = 0.955) and specifically for the school climate dimension (α = 0.969) and school satisfaction (α = 0.927). The instrument was applied to a sample of 2189 subjects (1881 teachers and 308 members of the school management team) at 85 schools in Spain where ISO:9001 has been implemented for at least 3 years. The results show that implementation of this QMS has generally had a medium level impact on school climate and on satisfaction among the teachers, students, and families at the schools in the sample. Moreover, descriptive and differential analyses have been carried out to identify any significant differences in the impact of implementing the QMS on improvements in the two dimensions as a function of the position, gender, seniority at the school, ownership, and size of the school, and length of time with the QMS implemented there. In addition, other analyses were carried out using single-variant general linear models that revealed an effect of interaction between the variables of position and age. Furthermore, cluster analyses were also performed to identify three teacher and management profiles attending to the levels of improvement brought about from implanting the QMS on the dimensions under study.

Motivations for ISO 9001 quality management system implementation and certification – mapping the territory with a novel classification proposal

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and characterize the motivations for ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) implementation and certification, with a novel, valid and business-oriented scale applied to a large sample. Instead of adopting a normative approach focusing on the internal/external nature of the motivation, this investigation aims to emphasize the ISO 9001 driving forces from an instrumental (productivity, market and competitiveness) perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is framed with a quantitative methodology supported by an email survey encompassing a sample of 526 Portuguese ISO 9001 certified organizations. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), t-tests and correlation analysis were performed according to the proposed research questions.

Findings

Regarding the motivations, three factors were obtained by applying EFA: market, productivity and competitiveness. The respondent organizations consider the productivity factor (mainly related to internal motivations) to be the most important. Concerning the other factors, competitiveness in the sector is ranked second and the reasons related to the market come in third. Additionally, organizations of medium dimension (between 50 and 249 employees), certified up to 1999 or from the private sector, give greater relevance to motivations related to the market and competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

This investigation suffers from the limitations inherent to the survey methodology (e.g. potential bias) and a Portuguese sample’s restrictions. Moreover, this research does not cover organizations that have been certified after 2015, namely, with an initial ISO 9001:2015 certification. Nevertheless, most of the respondents’ organizations remain ISO 9001 certified today.

Practical implications

The information provided allows managers to know the driving forces and motivations behind seeking ISO 9001 certification. It can assist certification bodies in fine-tuning their marketing strategies to attract new customers and support ISO 9001 stakeholders in the ISO 9001 revision cycles.

Social implications

Policymakers can also adjust policies to foster ISO 9001 certification accordingly. Furthermore, as Wawak et al. (2020) suggested, with ISO starting a new revision cycle for ISO 9001, an increase in the research topic is expected. This study brings additional knowledge that can assist ISO stakeholders in that process.

Originality/value

This study presents a novel, valid and more business-oriented scale to characterize and identify the motivations for ISO 9001 QMS certification and maps the driving forces for ISO 9001 certification in a large sample size of diverse organizations. The instrumental nature of the scale (productivity, market and competitiveness) improves the consistency with recent research on ISO 9001 contributions for organizational performance compared with previous scales that focused on the internal/external nature of the motivation.

Modeling critical factors for assessing Indian food safety practices

Purpose

India is in the process to achieve an important place in $2,000bn global food trade. In order to achieve this goal, there is a need to develop a food safety system which is well written down in line with international practices that are highly coordinated based on self-compliance to assure consumer protection. Accordingly, many organizations undergo assessment of their food safety system to verify compliance internally as well as externally. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on the critical factors and benefits by evaluating the food safety assessment practices.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey is conducted among 96 Indian food business operators and regulators involved in assessment practices to obtain critical factors for the assessment of food safety practices. The questionnaire captures indicators for motivations or challenges and benefits of food safety assessment to identify critical factors using exploratory factor analysis. Model for the food safety assessment practices was developed based on multiple regression analysis by determining the impact of factors on the benefits of food safety assessment.

Findings

This paper identifies four factors responsible for assessing food safety practices, namely, business-centric approach, legislative needs, technical practices and organization resentment as a combination of reasons and challenges along with two benefits risk: protection and organization reinforcement. The regression analysis indicates that the organization reinforcement gets positively impacted by business and technical practices and negatively by organization resentment. Risk protection has a significant relationship with legislative needs.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to systematically explore the factors around the assessment of food safety practices in India. This study provides inputs for the practical application of managers and regulators.

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.

Food integrated management systems: dairy industry insights

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the management systems integration from both sector and size perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Extant literature is reviewed focussing on food-related management topics. A single case is used to delve into the understanding of integrated management systems (IMSs) using the contingency approach. Data are drawn from documents and archives, on-site observations and by interviewing employees of all hierarchy levels.

Findings

This case shows how size and sector-related constraints may condition integration in terms of IMS scope, strategy, level, audits, resources, motives, benefits and difficulties. Traceability is identified as an integration “catalyst” for multiple MSs in food companies. It is further discussed, how an environmental management system would be embedded within the existing integrated structure.

Research limitations/implications

Conclusions bring to light the sustained business leverage provided by food IMSs. Thus, food industry managers are driven to streamline the quality, food safety and environmental processes following an IMS approach. Future research on multiple cases of different size would reflect a wider IMS sector-specific perspective. Research on other sectors is expected to provide different particular aspects of integration, as well.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in-depth study on the adoption of an integrated generic and sector-specific MS from the contingency perspective. The case visualizes the contribution of integration when addressing the critical food safety and quality operations and the significant environmental aspects.

Quality management benefits through the “soft” and “hard” aspect of TQM in food companies

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to examine the binary character of total quality management (TQM) in food companies and to determine the impact of the two aspects of TQM – the “soft” and “hard” – on the quality management benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

– A research project was carried out in 90 Greek food companies, using the questionnaire method. Two measurement models have been formulated. The first model includes the TQM philosophical elements and quality tools/techniques, while the second model includes the quality management benefits. Exploratory factor analyses are applied to extract the latent factors. The factors that significantly influence the quality management benefits are determined through multiple linear regression analyses.

Findings

– The analysis of the models confirms the binary character of TQM (the “soft” and “hard” TQM elements) in food companies and the existence of internal and external quality management benefits. The “soft” TQM elements have a significant direct impact on quality improvement, employee benefits and customer satisfaction. However, the impact of the “hard” TQM elements on the above quality management benefits is not direct but indirect, through their significant correlation with the “soft” TQM elements. Finally, quality improvement is also a significant factor that directly influences employee benefits, customer satisfaction and business performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The small size of the sample of the responding food companies, the diversity of these companies and the subjective character of the data collected are limitations that suggest future research recommendations.

Practical implications

– Food companies should realize the leading role of the “soft” aspect of TQM and the supporting role of the “hard” aspect in maximizing the quality management benefits and as a consequence in withstanding the current economic downturn.

Originality/value

– Focusing on “quality-oriented” food companies that have ample experience in quality and food safety management systems, the present study reveals a significant direct impact of the “soft” TQM elements and an indirect impact of the “hard” TQM elements on the quality management benefits.

Gotzamani K, L. Psomas E. The impact of employees’ attributes on the quality of food products

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the importance of specific, quality-related employees’ attributes to the enhancement of product quality in food companies. The main goal is to examine the synergistic relationships between specific employees’ attributes, which have been related in literature to ISO 9000 successful implementation, to continuous improvement, operational performance and product quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model.

Findings

– The findings reveal that although the examined quality-related “employees’ attributes” do not directly contribute to “product quality”, they influence both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” of food firms. The results also confirm the impact of both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” on “product quality” and also that “continuous improvement” helps explain “operational performance”.

Research limitations/implications

– The domain in which the model has been validated, the restricted use of moderators in the model and lack of empirical validation of the model in non-food sector companies, based on various respondents from each company, are a number of limitations associated with this study which suggest future research proposals.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study can motivate managers of food companies to focus on certain quality-related employees’ attributes in order to boost continuous improvement of ISO 9001 systems and operational performance of their companies, leading to product quality enhancement.

Originality/value

– This study finds particular relevance in emphasizing that although specific quality-related employees’ attributes, as these are detected in literature, have a significant contribution towards continuous improvement and operational performance, they are not the only critical factor leading to product quality. More complex relationships need to be considered by integrating other constructs as major antecedents of food product quality.

ISO 9000 impact on product quality in a defense procurement environment

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the relationship between ISO 9001 conformance of suppliers and the quality of products they provide, within a procurement system of a manufacturer operating under contracts with the US Department of Defense.

Design/methodology/approach

Chi‐square tests of independence were performed to compare the receipt acceptance rate of material provided by ISO 9001‐conforming suppliers to that of non‐ISO 9001‐conforming suppliers, for more than 46,000 receipts representing 21 material commodity groups provided by almost 800 suppliers. Acceptance of receipts required conformance to both hardware and paperwork requirements. Tests were also performed on data subsets, to determine the impact of ISO 9001 conformance on product quality for each of the 21 material commodity groups, for manufacturers versus distributors, and for two material control levels.

Findings

For the overall data set, and for the majority of data subsets analyzed, the product quality of non‐ISO 9001‐conforming suppliers was significantly better than that of ISO 9001‐conforming suppliers. When only hardware non‐conformances were considered to cause rejections, the results were similar, but effect sizes were generally smaller.

Research limitations/implications

The quantities of receipts and suppliers included in this investigation were very large; however, care should be exercised in generalizing the results, because of the potential influence of the defense industry‐related requirements imposed upon the material and the suppliers.

Originality/value

This is believed to be the first paper to investigate the impact of ISO 9001 conformance on product quality using a large quantity of actual product data, for both ISO 9001‐conforming and non‐ISO 9001‐conforming suppliers, in contrast to numerous assessments of quality impact performed using interview and survey data.

Information and records management

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present findings of a survey conducted during 2010 in the Icelandic organizations that held certification according to the ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard.

Design/methodology/approach

The organizations were questioned about problems in obtaining and maintaining certification, what motivated the quest and which were the benefits. Information on the software used and the cost and the time it took to obtain certification was also sought. A questionnaire was sent to those in charge of the quality management programme in the organizations. The questionnaire contained both open‐ended and closed questions. A comparison was made to a previous Icelandic survey from 2001.

Findings

The results show that necessary improvements were needed regarding information and records management (IRM). The reasons for obtaining certifications were mainly demands from customers, a way to introduce more disciplined work procedures and transparency, and to gain a better overview in management. The main benefits from receiving the certification were regarded to be improved management and improvement in meeting demands from customers and public authorities as well as improved IRM, more disciplined work procedures and increased traceability. Organizations involved in an international business believed the certification was a great benefit. Obtaining certification took on average two years and five months. The cost amounted to about £65,500.

Research limitations/ implications

Although the survey is limited to Iceland, this knowledge may also be of value to researchers, records managers and managers in other countries. The survey can lay the foundation for further research into the field.

Practical implications

The results could be of value to organizations that want to implement or re‐implement a certified quality management system. They define various factors that can support a better and a more reliable implementation of quality management systems. The results show that certified quality systems bring varied and valuable opportunities to the profession of records managers.

Originality/value

The survey adds valuable information and fulfils a need for a better understanding of the status of ISO 9001 in Iceland.

Quality models in industrial and engineering educational scenarios: a view from literature

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a literature review which was conducted to trace the quality journeys occurring in industrial and educational scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the literature was reviewed to trace the efforts made to implement quality models in industrial scenarios. Quality models include International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9000 certification, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA), Deming Prize and European Quality Award (EQA). Next, the literature was reviewed to trace the quality journey being undertaken in an engineering educational scenario.

Findings

Modern Engineering Educational Institutions (EEIs) are required to first accredit their programs by following Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)‐based stipulations. Then, these EEIs have to strive to implement quality models.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the low volume of research conducted, relatively very few papers dealing with ABET and quality models could be reviewed. However, the exhaustive review of most of these papers has overcome this limitation.

Practical implications

First, modern EEIs should gain accreditation to ABET and then strive to obtain quality models. This endeavour would make fresh engineers employable in industrial scenarios.

Originality/value

It appears that no researcher has so far attempted to examine the implementation of quality models in an engineering educational scenario. In this context, the results of the literature review reported in this paper could be utilized while implementing quality models in EEIs via ABET‐based accredited programs.