Investigating the Association between Organizational Differences and the Implementation of ISO 9001:2000

This paper reports on the results of a study investigating the issue of whether aspects relating to the implementation of ISO 9001:2000 quality management standard differ according to organization size or sector type. Data required for this study were collected from 42 randomly selected organizations of different size and sector type operating in the Sultanate of Oman. The results show that there is no strong evidence to suggest that the motives for implementation, the process and cost of achieving certification, the perceived benefits, and the shortcomings differ significantly according to organization size or sector type. The main outcome of this study is that the issue of organization size or sector type should not be a factor in deciding upon certification. Keywordsmanagement, ISO 9001:2000 certification, organization size, sector type 1. Introductionenhancing, and sustaining competitiveness in today's competitive environment is dependent on providing high quality and low cost products and services in the least possible time. Because of this, organizations pursue a number of management tools and philosophies including quality management systems. These systems play an important role in raising the levels of quality, safety, efficiency, reliability, productivity, and work satisfaction, as well as reducing cost. According to Goetsch and Davis (1), "a quality management system consists of all the organization's policies, procedures, plans, resources, processes, and delineation of responsibility and authority, all deliberately aimed at achieving product or service quality levels consistent with customer satisfaction and the organization's objectives. When these policies, procedures, plans, etc. are taken together, they define how the organization works, and how quality is managed." The ISO 9000 standard is perhaps the most well known quality management system. It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization in 1987 and was adopted in 1989 by the European Committee for Standardization as the quality management system standard for the European Community, which is one of the pillars of the European Union. Several studies have been carried out investigating aspects relating to the implementation of the 2000 or 1994 versions of ISO 9000 in organizations operating in different countries. These studies addressed several aspects, including the motives for seeking certification, the process and cost of achieving certification, and the perceived benefits and shortcomings of the Standard. However, only a small number of studies have investigated the association between organization size and sector type and aspects of ISO 9000 implementation. From these studies, a number of common limitations can be identified including: • Few aspects of ISO 9000 being addressed. • Contradicting conclusions in the literature concerning the association between aspects of ISO 9000 implementation and organization size or sector type. For instance, Taylor (2) has reported that there is no evidence to suggest that any differences in organizations' reasons for seeking ISO 9000 certification are associated with organization size. However, on the other hand, Magd and Curry (3) and Magd (4) have reported