This article analyzes the dissemination of the main global management standards, the ISO 9000, within the transition economies of the European Union (EU). In the article, the specific case of the Baltic States is analyzed in depth. The work refers to the diffusion of the ISO 9000 standard in the Baltic States in terms of its certification intensity and sectorial distribution. Likewise, the work refers to the huge increase of certifications achieved by the countries and the other transition economies in the previous years of their adhesion to the European Union in years 2004 and 2007. The conclusions drawn in the article may be of interest both for academic and professional spheres of activity but, overall, for public-decisors.
This article analyzes the dissemination of the main global management standards, the ISO 9000, within the transition economies of the European Union (EU). In the article, the specific case of the Baltic States is analyzed in depth. The work refers to the diffusion of the ISO 9000 standard in the Baltic States in terms of its certification intensity and sectorial distribution. Likewise, the work refers to the huge increase of certifications achieved by the countries and the other transition economies in the previous years of their adhesion to the European Union in years 2004 and 2007. The conclusions drawn in the article may be of interest both for academic and professional spheres of activity but, overall, for public-decisors.
What is the impact on perceptions of legitimacy and efficacy when key stake-holders are absent during the creation of international standards? Can these international standards setting bodies adequately address the needs of all countries when often working in the absence of developing countries? This study examines the process through which one international environmental management standard (ISO 14001) was created and analyzes its perceived legitimacy and efficacy among developing country stakeholders relative to those from developed countries. Data for this project come from interviews with 42 delegates to the ISO 14000 standards-drafting sessions in Malaysia and 133 surveys of ISO 14001 certified firms in 16 countries. The article concludes that stakeholder absence impacts both legitimacy and efficacy of ISO 14001 in interesting and unexpected ways.
In the middle of the 1990s two international environmental management standards became available for European companies: the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 14001. Companies that wanted to implement a standardized environmental management system were confronted with the choice between their national standard, the European standard, or the international one. In the past decennium, the national standards have been abolished and the number of ISO 14001 certified companies has outnumbered the number of EMAS-registered organizations. The speed at which and the extent to which ISO 14001 has outnumbered EMAS differs, however, between countries in the EU-15. We argue that a country classification based on the degree of statism of the collective agency on the one hand, and the degree of corporatism of society's organization on the other, offers a valuable perspective for analyzing the evolution of the uptake of both standards in a country. We present the cases of Germany, the UK, France, and Sweden, and conclude that in countries characterized by a more societal organization of authority, private alternatives for national regulations like ISO 14001 are welcomed and adopted with enthusiasm. In countries characterized by a rather statist organization, such alternatives are looked upon with more suspicion resulting in delayed uptake. Whereas ISO 14001 is a purely private initiative, voluntary registration to the EMAS regulation creates a link between the company and the authorities. In contrast to corporatist settings, this frightens off business participation in associational countries.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated theoretical framework of the interrelation of the key success factors in the process of standards implementation.
Design/methodology/approach – Extensive case study work was carried out in ten American plants that had adopted ISO 9001 and or ISO 14001. First, within-case analysis captures the uniqueness of the implementation processes at each plant and leads to construction of the causal maps. Next, cross-case comparison identifies the key factors and the relationship between them, resulting in the theoretical framework.
Findings – The key factors affecting implementation effectiveness include focus on internal improvement, top management support, design of the system around existing processes, use of information technology, positive employees' attitude, and employees' usage of the system. The resulting framework suggests three alternative pathways to effective implementation of standards: (i) incentives pathway, i.e., by providing the right incentives; (ii) integration pathway, i.e., by designing the system around existing processes; and (iii) information technology pathway, i.e., by using information technology.
Research limitations/implications – The key contribution of this research is the integrated theoretical framework.
Practical implications – Practically, this framework provides managers a clear depiction of the key actions required at each stage of standard implementation.
Originality/value – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first integrated framework of the factors affecting standard adoption. We believe this framework is applicable to other meta-standards.
PurposeDominant quality standards are present in all industries. Implicit in their use is the assumption that once adopted, there is little or no reason to replace them. However, there is evidence that, under certain circumstances, such standards do get replaced. The reasons for this action are not well-understood, either as they pertain to the displacement decision or to the selection and adoption of the alternative standard. The purpose of this study is to identify and explore these two issues (displacement and replacement) by drawing on data from the American healthcare system. This study is viewed through the theoretical lens of legitimacy theory. In addition, the process is viewed from a temporal perspective. The resulting findings are used to better understand how this displacement process takes place and to identify directions for interesting and meaningful future research.Design/methodology/approachThis is an explanatory study that draws on data gathered from quality managers in 89 hospitals that had adopted a new healthcare quality standard (of these, some fifty percent had displaced the dominant quality standard – the Joint Commission – with a different standard – DNV Healthcare.FindingsThe combined literature review and case study data provide insights into the displacement process. This is a process that evolves over time. Initially, the process is driven by the need to meet customer demands. However, over time, as the organizations try to integrate the guidelines contained within the standards into the organization, gaps in the quality standard emerge. It is these gaps that motivate the need to displace standards. The legitimacy perspective is highly effective at explaining this displacement process. In addition, the study uncovers some critical issues, namely the important role played by the individual auditors in the certification process and the importance of fit between the standard and the context in which it is deployed.Research limitations/implicationsThe data for the propositions in this case study were derived from interviews and survey data from 89 healthcare organizations. It would be interesting to examine similar relationships with other quality standards and industries.Practical implicationsOur findings provide new insights related to motivations to decouple from a dominant quality standard. Results provide a cautionary tale for standards that hold a dominant market share such that perceived legitimacy of such standards is not as stable as originally thought.Originality/valueThis study illuminates the fragile nature of the stability of dominant standards and emphasizes the linkages between legitimacy concerns and divestiture of such standards.
This paper analyzes the factors that explain the international diffusion of voluntary international management standards. We argue that to understand the diffusion of international standards we need to define a model that includes interactions between standards as well as interactions between standards and their institutional environment. We present two opposite views explaining how the previous diffusion of management standards facilitates or hampers the adoption of new management standards. We test a comprehensive model of diffusion of international environmental management standards within the chemical industry using a panel of 113 different countries during the period 2000 to 2003. Our results show that the previous experience of businesses in voluntary standards such as the Chemical Industry's Responsible Care program or ISO 9000, government commitment towards Environmental Management Systems Standards, and the level of activity of international non-governmental organizations in the country of adoption, impact positively on the adoption of ISO 14001 by chemical firms. Unlike previous studies that focused mostly on cross industry analyses, we do not find trade related factors significant while explaining adoption in the chemical industry. Our results differ, therefore from previous research and highlight the need to isolate industry effects to understand the diffusion of international standards.
Non-Governmental Organizations are dependent on the donor funding, and donor(s) demands strong internal controls. Fewer funds less sustainability more funds more sustainability. This study investigates the impact of FMSOPs financial management policies over internal control and donor aids and why these are necessary for the organization development. For analysis primary data collected from 191 respondents and five point's Likert scale method used. Data collected from NGOs experienced staff. This study concluded that financial management standard operating policies strongly and significantly related to internal controls and donor aids. Organization assessment is the part of donor agencies before making partnerships. Therefore, it is recommended to implement the FMSOPs in NGOs for transparency and earning donors' trust.
This article analyzes the factors that explain the international diffusion of voluntary international management standards. We argue that international management standards should not be analyzed in isolation but in conjunction with other standards and their institutional environment. We present two opposite views explaining how the previous diffusion of management standards facilitates or hampers the adoption of new management standards. We test a comprehensive model of diffusion of international environmental management standards within the chemical industry using a panel of 113 different countries during the period 2000 to 2003. Our results show that the previous experience of businesses in voluntary standards such as the Chemical Industry's Responsible Care Program or ISO 9000, government commitment toward Environmental Management Systems Standards, and the level of activity of international nongovernmental organizations in the country of adoption, impact positively on the adoption of ISO 14001 by chemical firms. Unlike previous studies that focused mostly on cross industry analyses, we do not find trade‐related factors significant while explaining adoption in the chemical industry. Our results differ, therefore, from previous research and highlight the need to isolate industry effects to understand the diffusion of international standards.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how national cultures contribute to explain the uneven diffusion of ISO 14001 across countries. The paper focuses on two of the cultural dimensions developed by the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness (GLOBE) project, namely, performance orientation and institutional collectivism.
Design/methodology/approach A database containing information about the diffusion of ISO 14001 in 52 countries during the period 1999–2016 was built to carry out this research. The countries considered in this study represent about 90 percent of worldwide ISO 14001 certifications. The information was gathered from publicly available data sources: the ISO Survey, published every year by the International Organization for Standardization, the world development indicators of the World Bank, the cultural dimensions of the GLOBE project and the Index of Economic Freedom provided by The Heritage Foundation.
Findings This research finds that both performance orientation and institutional collectivism influence the diffusion of ISO 14001. Whereas performance orientation slows down the diffusion of ISO 14001, institutional collectivism speeds it up. Additionally, this research shows that the slowing effect of performance orientation decreases in strength over time, while the accelerating effect of institutional collectivism becomes stronger.
Originality/value The study adds to the understanding of the influence of national culture on the diffusion of environmental management standards, with an emphasis on ISO 14001. A key contribution of this research is that it explores how the influence of cultural dimensions change over time as a result of the development and maturation of ISO 14001.
