A survey on ISO 9001 decertified companies: the three stages leading to withdrawal

Abstract

This study investigates the three main stages of the ISO 9001 certification process (implementation, maintenance, and withdrawal) from the perspective of decertified firms. The research employs a descriptive and inductive survey methodology, drawing insights from a literature review and the analysis of primary data obtained from a sample of decertified organizations. Results suggest that the decertification is triggered during the pre-certification stage, where these firms overemphasize external motivations to the detriment of internal ones. Additionally, this study finds that, in the maintenance stage, these firms are unable to commit to continuous improvement. The interplay of external motivations, the lack of internalization and continuous improvement, and the nature of benefits gained by these entities ultimately leads to certification withdrawal. Furthermore, the paper highlights that the consequences of decertification vary: most firms report no negative impact on their performance, but some report a negative impact, which seems to result from even stronger external motivations. This is the first descriptive (and inductive) study to address decertification from the dual perspective of the whole certification process and of the decertified firms, adding to the scarce research on decertification by providing a comprehensive overview of this phenomenon and identifying a holistic explanation for the withdrawal.