Role of HR Specialists from the Standpoint of Quality Audits

Abstract

One of the important barriers to the functioning of quality management systems (QMS) is misunderstandings (conflicts) between auditors and staff. It can be assumed that these phenomena are caused by the fact that employees equate audit with inspections, which is almost always accompanied by emotions that make an objective approach to the legitimacy of the „test” more difficult. The question arises to what extent this perception results from the auditor’s behaviors. Against this background, an attempt was made to indicate the extent to which the relations between the auditor and the audited employees can be shaped by a HR specialist. Referring to the literature on the subject and authors’ own experience in empirical research conducted in companies where the QMS systems were implemented based on the ISO 9000 series of standards, the study aims to characterize the tasks which HR specialists should perform in order to prevent conflicts between the internal auditor and the staff.