Abstract
Goal: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the preference structure for MSS certifications in a Brazilian supply chain.
 Design/methodology/approach: To form the set of attributes, five MSS were selected that certify companies in the Brazilian sugarcane supply chain, and a sample of 66 large and medium-sized companies in operation was obtained.
 Results: The results show that the Brazilian sugarcane companies supply chain presented a higher preference for suppliers with ISO 9001 (38.7%), ISO 22000 (19.9%), ISO 14001 (19.6%), OHSAS 18001 (13.2%) and ISO 27001 (8.6%) certification and contribute to the literature by offering new and broader insight into industrial buying behavior in the business-to-business context with respect to the adoption of MSS.
 Limitations of the investigation: The low number of observations may be a factor limiting the investigation. And the study is limited to sugar-alcohol companies in Brazil.
 Practical implications: Companies within the supply chain still prefer the traditional certifications, even when the market is saturated with such certifications. These results help better explain industrial behavior and illuminate the relationships that companies develop within the supply chain, that might thus be of great assistance to suppliers wishing to become part of this supply chain by identifying which MSS certifications are most valued by purchasing companies.
 Originality/value: The article analyzes which MSS are most important for the Brazilian companies of sugar cane and ethanol. And can be of great value to managers, suppliers, and stakeholders in this industry, as well as a model for developing countries.
Highlights
Organizations seek certification for various activities and processes with management system standards (MSS) such as those proposed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Services (OHSAS) (Liu et al, 2020)
These results help better explain industrial behavior and illuminate the relationships that companies develop within the supply chain, that might be of great assistance to suppliers wishing to become part of this supply chain by identifying which MSS certifications are most valued by purchasing companies
Our findings demonstrate to practitioners/managers that even if they do so for external reasons, suppliers wishing to participate in this supply chain should obtain ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 22000 certifications, if feasible
Summary
Organizations seek certification for various activities and processes with management system standards (MSS) such as those proposed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Services (OHSAS) (Liu et al, 2020). Examining the peculiarities of each market segment, such as in supply chains, it is possible to perceive the implications of these certifications when business and transactions occur between companies (Khan and Farooquie, 2016; Lizarraga et al, 2020; Su et al, 2020) Some of these implications are linked with the dynamics and globalization of such markets, with the result that relations between companies increasingly involve aspects such as trust, credibility, cooperation (Polo-Redondo and Cambra-Fierro, 2008; Sharma et al, 2015) and substantial pressure from customers and society concerning standardized processes and products. Operations such as asset management, shared services, fleet management, and outsourcing may be improved, since there are several operations in which organizations (clients and suppliers) seek partners who take responsibility for them (Fava Neves et al, 2010)
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