Total quality management is from a decade an important and useful organizational system for increasing companies' competitiveness, by optimizing processes with a particular focus on the customer. Among all the methodologies, ISO 9000 certification is one of the most common and recognized approaches ...

This IEC book is a compilation of commended papers from the IEC Centenary Challenge, a competition for papers on the economic, business and social impact of International Standards on business. The competition was organized in association with The Economist magazine and in partnership with three lea...

Using a rich panel dataset of small and medium scale manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) active in the manufacturing sector in Viet Nam, this paper investigates the drivers of firm productivity, focusing on the role played by international management standards certification. We test the hypothesis that...

The company selected by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) for this study, ''Festo Brasil'', is a subsidiary of Festo AG, a leading German worldwide supplier of automation technology and solutions. Several initiatives potentially contribute to the growth of the automation indust...

This paper is based on the systematic literature review method and investigates the impacts of the EMS and ISO 14001 Standards towards corporate performance. Two units are considered through the methodology of research; firm size and market orientation. The evidence comes from the analysed dataset o...

In this study a research model is designed that describes the effects on business performance of IS company standards facilitating processes. This model is based on a pilot case study and the small number of literature available on company standards. Subsequently, the descriptive model is used in tw...

Chosen by the DIN German Institute for Standardization, this study has been carried out in collaboration with the switch technology and standardization divisions at ''Siemens AG''. Switch technology involves essential components for the transport and distribution of electrical energy for uses rang...

We provide a selective overview of the literature on standardization. We first summarize the essential mechanisms underlying the economics of product compatibility and in so doing we review the various frameworks that have been used. Then we survey existing work about the consequences of compatibili...

For the conduct of this study, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) chose ''PTT Chemical Public Company Limited (PTTCH)'', a leading petrochemical company operating across the chemical sector. The study focuses on polymer products which, as finished petrochemical products are used as synth...

The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between quality management dimensions and organisational performance in uncertain markets (transition conditions). The study was carried out in Serbia, using a sample of 160 certified organisations. The study was based on subjective esti...

Certification programmes and voluntary standards for sustainability are now a commonfeature of many agricultural landscapes worldwide. The rapid expansion of such programmes has only recently been accompanied by concerted attempts to assess the lived experience of enrolled producers. This article re...

The company selected for this study by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization is ''Petra Engineering Industries Co.'', a leading engineering company in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. With over 1500 employees, including more than 300 engineers, the company exp...

The main objectives of this chapter are to elucidate the necessity of a standardized value stream management (VSM) and to clarify how this standard can effectively increase corporate performance within cross-enterprise supply chain networks (SCNs). VSM is an effective tool to collect, evaluate, a...

The company chosen by the Mauritius Standards Bureau for this study, ''PPP PSL'', manufactures plastic pipes and fittings made of PVC-U as well as polypropylene pipes for electrical conduit applications. Among one of the first companies in Mauritius to be certified to ISO 9001, PPP PSL manufactures ...

This is a study conducted to determine the social and environmental benefits of standards for a major insurance company, the Ping An Property and Causality Insurance Company of China. Using ISO, ISO/IEC and Chinese standards for particular critical issues like risk management, catastrophe insurance ...

This study analyses the impact of formal standards and regulation on firms’ innovation efficiency, considering different levels of market uncertainty. We argue that formal standards and regulation have different effects, depending on the extent of market uncertainty derived from theoretical consider...

This is a case study conducted to determine the economic benefits of standards. The enterprise chosen for the study is Singapore’s “City Square Mall” (CSM), a public facility providing retail outlets for many types of goods and services. Developed , owned and managed by one of Singapore’s leading in...

The ISO 9001 quality management standard has been implemented by more than one million organizations in 187 countries since its introduction in 1987. A newer version of ISO 9001 is planned to be introduced in 2015. Even though it is widely used by organizations to gain both operational and market be...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the effective implementation of both ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 systems on the competitive performance of certified food manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach - A survey instrument was used for quantitative data collection. ...

Purpose – ISO 9000 certification has a growing importance for companies, mainly in Europe but also in other countries. Several papers have analysed the effects of ISO 9000 certification on company results, with contradictory conclusions. The purpose of this work is to clarify these possible effects....