I.A. Beckmerhagen, H.P. Berg, S.V. Karapetrovic and W.O. Willborn
The need to create integrated management systems (IMS) in order to handle the proliferation of management system standards is undeniable. There is also evidence in literature and…
Abstract
The need to create integrated management systems (IMS) in order to handle the proliferation of management system standards is undeniable. There is also evidence in literature and practice that organizations are slowly starting to tackle the IMS issue, mainly by putting an integrated quality and environmental management system in place. Due to the existence of internationally accepted standards covering these two fields, namely ISO 9000 and 14000 series, such a scope of integration comes as no surprise. However, can and should other systems, for example, the ones for occupational health and safety, dependability, social accountability or complaints handling, be included? What would such an integration mean for the existing organizational structures and how could be it be accomplished? When we attempt to address IMS issues, do we really talk about the integration of standards, systems, both or neither? These and other important questions regarding IMS are addressed here. By means of an example from the nuclear industry, this paper focuses in particular on the integration of a safety management system within an IMS framework. Since safety is of such a paramount importance in nuclear plants, it makes sense to integrate safety requirements within a quality management system, as a possible first step in the integration efforts. Subsequently, other function‐specific requirements may be included to form a “real” IMS.
Details
Keywords
Panos T. Chountalas and Filippos A. Tepaskoualos
Despite the widely recognized benefits of integrating management systems, many multi-certified organizations continue to implement two or more systems separately. This can happen…
Abstract
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 a de facto desirable goal, especially when the estimated cost-benefit ratio of non-integration is better than that of integration.
Details
Keywords
I.A. Beckmerhagen, H.P. Berg, S.V. Karapetrovic and W.O. Willborn
An “effective audit” cannot be taken for granted, even though it is performed by trained professionals using proven techniques and in accordance with internationally accepted…
Abstract
An “effective audit” cannot be taken for granted, even though it is performed by trained professionals using proven techniques and in accordance with internationally accepted standards. Recent highly publicized cases in both financial and quality auditing point to the need to further examine the meaning of audit effectiveness, as well as the methods to improve it. Specifically, audit reliability and risk as two related components of audit effectiveness are focused on. The term and concept of QMS audit effectiveness are analyzed first, followed by a list of the relevant principles and criteria for measuring and improving this effectiveness. Finally, two cases from the nuclear industry are used to illustrate the importance of measuring and improving QMS audit effectiveness.
Details
Keywords
Harjeev K. Khanna, S.C. Laroiya and D.D. Sharma
The integration of management systems has become a popular subject for research and practice. However, there is a considerable lack of literature on integrated management systems…
Abstract
Purpose
The integration of management systems has become a popular subject for research and practice. However, there is a considerable lack of literature on integrated management systems (IMS) in developing countries. This study aims to examine the current status, motivation and perceived benefits of IMS in manufacturing organizations in India.
Design/methodology/approach
To examine the status of IMS in the Indian manufacturing sector, a survey was sent to 270 manufacturing organizations in India using a questionnaire as the survey instrument. Only 60 organizations participated in the survey. Subsequently, one case study was undertaken.
Findings
The research reflects the status of IMS in India. The majority of the responding organizations are implementing IMS. The findings suggest that the most important motivating factors are to promote synergies among different management systems (MS), to combine objectives of different MS, and to avoid duplication of procedures. The perceived benefits of IMS are reduction in the duplication of policies, procedures and work instructions, reduced costs, higher transparency, time saving, and synergy between MS.
Research limitations/implications
One of the major limitations of this study is the small sample size, which precludes generalization of the findings. This study provides a starting point for further research in developing countries.
Practical implications
This research makes a contribution to the existing body of knowledge on IMS and provides results of value to IMS researchers and practitioners.
Originality/value
This paper offers key insights into IMS implementation in India. This will encourage manufacturing organizations in India and other developing countries to adopt IMS.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Asif, Olaf A.M. Fisscher, Erik Joost de Bruijn and Mark Pagell
This paper is an empirical study of the organisational approaches used for integration of management systems (MSs) and the comparative effectiveness of such approaches.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is an empirical study of the organisational approaches used for integration of management systems (MSs) and the comparative effectiveness of such approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
Research employed four case studies. Results are derived from the analysis of triangulated evidence obtained from in‐depth interviews, observations, internal documents analysis, archives, and short questionnaires.
Findings
Results identified two archetypes of integration strategies termed “systems approach” and “techno‐centric approach”. Maximum benefits are achieved by using a systems approach to integration of MSs, while using the techno‐centric approach leads to benefits mainly at the operational level.
Research limitations/implications
This research is qualitative and, as such, does not investigate the integration of MSs across a large number of organisations. The research does not investigate the causality between strategies employed for integration and their outcomes.
Originality/value
There is little empirical research to date on the strategies employed for integration of MSs and their effectiveness. This research contributes to both literature and practice by demonstrating that a systems approach gives rise to greater integration throughout various organisational levels and greater benefits as compared to other approaches.
Details
Keywords
Eduardo Guilherme Satolo, Felipe A. Calarge and Paulo Augusto Cauchick Miguel
Over recent the past decades, integrated management systems (IMS) have emerged as one of the major tasks for practising managers and the academic community. In this context, this…
Abstract
Purpose
Over recent the past decades, integrated management systems (IMS) have emerged as one of the major tasks for practising managers and the academic community. In this context, this paper aims at identifying relevant practices related to an IMS in an organisation that belongs to the sugar cane and ethanol agricultural industrial sector in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of mainstream literature on IMS is conducted followed by case‐based research used as the methodological approach. Data were gathered through a questionnaire as well as face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews. The analysis was done a posteriori to construct the case description and perform the analysis.
Findings
Issues that motivated the IMS implementation were identified. The paper also highlights the difficulties experienced and benefits accrued during implementation. The existence of a previous quality management system facilitated the implementation of the IMS. Nevertheless, a longitudinal study is desirable to assess further results in the long term.
Research limitations/implications
This work is limited to a single unit of analysis. Therefore, empirical replications in other samples are needed to validate current findings.
Originality/value
This is one of the first known studies to investigate the implementation of an IMS in a manufacturing unit that produces sugar and ethanol.
Details
Keywords
Cory Searcy, Oguz Morali, Stanislav Karapetrovic, Kristine Wichuk, Daryl McCartney, Sheldon McLeod and Don Fraser
The purpose of this paper is to present the key findings of a colloquium on ISO 14001. The colloquium focused on three key areas: critical loops and synergies among management…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the key findings of a colloquium on ISO 14001. The colloquium focused on three key areas: critical loops and synergies among management system elements, the full spectrum of management system auditing, and integrating management systems.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 40 Canadian experts on environmental management systems from a wide variety of sectors participated in the colloquium.
Findings
The colloquium provided insights into implementation issues around the three key areas noted above. The colloquium focused on discussing issues associated with corrective and preventive action, objectives and targets, internal and external auditing, and integrating change into management systems. The issues are presented in detail in the paper.
Originality/value
The participants in the colloquium believed that the findings will be of interest to both practitioners and academics in environmental management systems. The findings will also be of interest to practitioners and academics in quality and other standardized management systems.
Details
Keywords
Roslina Ab Wahid and Nigel Peter Grigg
Changes in structure and conceptual underpinnings of ISO 9001 mean that quality management system (QMS) auditors require a wide knowledge base and skill set to effectively…
Abstract
Purpose
Changes in structure and conceptual underpinnings of ISO 9001 mean that quality management system (QMS) auditors require a wide knowledge base and skill set to effectively evaluate contemporary QMS and add value to the process. Hence, this study presents an open curriculum framework of the knowledge, skills and attributes for quality auditor education.
Design/methodology/approach
This study describes the first two phases of a three-phase study examining the educational requirements for external quality auditors (EQAs). Phase 1 involved a review of relevant international literature on auditor competence and education; Phase 2 involved the collection of qualitative data from a panel of experts, combined with the initial round of a Delphi study. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings from the questionnaire.
Findings
The findings of this study suggests there is a need to improve EQAs education, as most experts reported the quality of audit to be variable, inconsistent, poor and diminishing in value. The most important improvements to auditor education are to update and improve the auditors' knowledge on the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and technology in business and skills such as report writing, communication, IT understanding and analytical ability. Some of the attributes reported as being desirable to instill in EQAs include the following: objectivity, integrity, ethics and professionalism; being observant, perceptive, articulate and confident; having good judgment; flexibility, adaptivity and diplomacy, fairness and open-mindedness.
Originality/value
This study highlights the need for wider EQA education based on the gap identified in its performance. The resulting framework can be adopted by accreditation and certification bodies to evaluate and improve their auditors' audit performance.
Details
Keywords
Panos T. Chountalas and Athanasios G. Lagodimos
Significant interest in Integrated Management Systems (IMS), as a key area within ISO-related Management System Standards (MSS) literature, has been evident from both academia and…
Abstract
Purpose
Significant interest in Integrated Management Systems (IMS), as a key area within ISO-related Management System Standards (MSS) literature, has been evident from both academia and industry over the past three decades. This study aims to map the evolution and current state of IMS research and propose possible directions for future studies.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive content and bibliometric analysis of 846 documents from the Scopus database across the period 1995 to 2023 was conducted. This included performance analysis to track publication trends and identify key contributors, and content analysis to specify dominant research methodologies and the MSS most commonly integrated. Furthermore, science mapping techniques—such as co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and bibliographic coupling—were utilized to outline the collaborative networks and the conceptual and intellectual structure of the field.
Findings
The study identifies three principal IMS research themes: the practical implementation of IMS, their role in promoting sustainability and social responsibility, and their impact on continuous performance improvement. It also highlights the field’s evolution and key research constituents—including influential works, prolific authors, leading academic institutions and countries, and top publishing journals. It further reveals that IMS research exhibits strong collaboration across authors and countries, and a rich methodological plurality, notably with a marked increase in empirical surveys in recent years. Additionally, it identifies the most frequently referenced MSS for integration, prominently featuring ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001.
Originality/value
This study is original in its application of a dual analytical approach—bibliometric and content analysis—to provide a holistic overview of IMS research. It offers new insights into the integration of diverse MSS and proposes several promising paths for future research. Among the most prominent are standardizing IMS fundamental specifications, conducting more empirical research with advanced methods to evaluate the effects of MSS integration, providing practical support for organizations in IMS implementation through tailored methodologies and tools, and exploring the potential of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies to advance IMS practices.
Details
Keywords
Hassan Ali, Nor Azimah Chew Abdullah and Chandrakantan Subramaniam
The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent management practices in safety culture are effective in reducing workplace injuries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent management practices in safety culture are effective in reducing workplace injuries.
Design/methodology/approach
Management practices are an important component of an organization's safety climate. The study was conducted in a major industrial zone in Malaysia. The management practices examined in this study were reward, training, management commitment, communication and feedback, hiring practices, and employee participation. In total, 68 companies participated in this study; the injury data provided by the companies were for three years and 24 musculoskeletal injuries were examined.
Findings
The multiple correlation was at 0.43 and the R2 was 0.19. A significant linear relationship between management practices subscale and injury rates was obtained (F=2.28, p=0.14). Rewards, management commitment, feedback and selection were found to reduce injury rates. However, only feedback (t=−2.98) and employee participation (t=2.01) were significantly predicting the injury rates. Implementing good management practices does reduce injury rates.
Research limitations/implications
Nevertheless, a positive relationship for participation with injury rates suggests that a re‐examination of these practices is necessary, as it may not be effective in reducing injury rates.
Practical implications
It may be posited that although frequency counts of injuries in the workplace do provide some indication of the extent of workplace injury; nevertheless they do not provide a true account of the severity of these injuries.
Originality/value
This paper presents empirical findings on the relationship between management practices and injury rates in the industrial sector in Malaysia