Certification Bodies Research Articles

What determinants influence the diffusion of ISO 9001 by countries?

PurposeThis study has the main aim of analyzing the influence of six factors on ISO 9001 implementation: Economic Development, Exporting to Europe, Reputation, Competitiveness, Innovation and Business Sophistication. As a complement, a new factor relating to quality by country has been added: the World Quality Scoreboard.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are proposed that establish a (positive or negative) linear relationship between the diffusion of ISO 9001 and the indicators of the different factors analyzed in each country. The SPSS program was used to evaluate the hypotheses using data from 2009 to 2018.FindingsThe results indicate strong positive relationship for the country's economic development only when countries with low levels of income are considered. For the rest of the variables, the results indicate that their behavior varies according to the degree of development of the countries. When only developed countries are considered, significant and negative correlations are obtained for reputation, competitiveness, innovation and business sophistication, while considering the group of less developed countries, the results are reversed. The new World Quality Scoreboard has the same behavior whereas regarding exports; we did not obtain conclusive results.Originality/valueThis study adds important information on the studying of ISO 9000 phenomenon diffusion/evolution by analyzing the effect of six variables on the degree of implementation of the ISO 9001 standard in different countries. This information is interesting for companies and certification bodies across the world because it allows a better understanding of the reasons and conditions of implementing a quality management system.

Extrovert integrated management systems

PurposeThe purpose of this research is twofold; firstly, to propose and test a measuring instrument for the efficient and effective integration of management systems (MSs), identifying the particular aspects that may distinguish the substantive (internalized) from the superficial (ceremonial) integration; and secondly, to propose and test a scale for corporate sustainability performance (CSP).Design/methodology/approachA literature review has identified pertinent variables and yielded relevant measuring items. A field survey has been conducted. The survey instrument has been administered to Greek organizations certified to two or more MS standards. Collected data from 280 respondents has been processed using exploratory factor analysis.FindingsInternalization has been identified as the main construct to interpret substantial MS integration in terms of resources and the extent of integration. The extracted internalization factors are human resources, strategic resources, information systems, integration tools, outsourcing, internal processes integration level and audits' integration level. CSP has been operationalized in terms of the company's relationships with its stakeholders. The extracted CSP factors are customer–supplier relationship, the employees, investors/shareholders, financial institutions, the environment, state and society.Practical implicationsThis research findings can be used by management professionals, certification bodies and governmental authorities in order to foster the implementation of multiple MSs and highlight the critical issues for their successful integration and internalization, which is imperative for their prosperity and contribution toward CSP. Practitioners are also provided with an instrument to monitor CSP through the company's relationships with its stakeholders toward satisfaction of their needs.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study on the internalization of integrated MSs. In addition, the development of a CSP scale intends to bring together corporate sustainability management with CSP.

The Impact of Religio-Cultural Institutional Hegemony on Sri Lankan (halal) Supply Chains: Theorising the Interplay between the Certification Body, Social Institutions and the Government

This paper aims to explore the role of certification bodies and the influence of religio-cultural institutions over a country’s supply chains in the context of halal certification. Using theoretical lenses of Institutional theory and Gramsci’s theory of Hegemony, the paper explores the impact of deep-rooted contextual variables such as religious beliefs, cultural rituals and diverse social institutions on halal supply chains. Directed qualitative content analysis method involving subjective interpretation of the content of text data through a systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes, is employed. Findings indicate that the complex dynamics of social and contextual variables affecting a supply chain can well be understood by examining how various institutions operate to receive consent to their ideology from other competing groups. The study postulated four research propositions followed by a theoretical framework describing the hegemonic influence on halal supply chains. It presents several implications for practice.

Vietnamese Consumers’ Preferences for Functional Milk Powder Attributes: A Segmentation-Based Conjoint Study with Educated Consumers

This paper investigated Vietnamese consumers’ preferences for functional milk powder products to determine if there were differences in market segments. A Qualtrics survey and a 1000minds choice-based conjoint survey were completed by 272 participants, predominantly 18-30-year-old males with high education levels and above average incomes. Firstly, general perceptions of the use of functional foods to maintain health were determined, with results revealing that participants believed in the benefits the foods claim to provide. Secondly, participants’ tradeoffs for specific extrinsic functional milk powder attributes were determined by examining the relative importance they placed on a range of attributes. Participants prioritized a quality stamp attribute and preferred that this was obtained from an international certification body. Finally, a two-step cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression was used to profile the participants and analyze relationships between socio-demographic data and the four resulting segments (i.e., Food Safety Concerned, Price Sensitive, Premium Product Focused, and Nutrition Focused). The largest of these segments was Food Safety Concerned (46.3%) with males significantly less likely than females to be in this segment. Given the limited literature on Vietnamese consumers’ decision-making processes, this study is an important contribution to this topic, as well as providing information about market opportunities.

Penyederhanaan Elemen-Elemen ISO 9000 dalam Kategori Non-Kontraktual Ditinjau dari Asas Kepastian Hukum

This article aims to find out how to apply the quality system using ISO 9000 to small industries based on applicable laws and regulations so that it still provides legal certainty for consumers. Because, often small industries ignore the application of quality in ISO 9000 because certification costs are quite expensive. The problem is focused on how the form of legal certainty given by ISO 9000 in the non-contractual category that is, without the recognition of a third party who is a certification body in terms of the principle of legal certainty. To approach this problem, theoretical references from books and journals of law can be used as guidelines for writers. The writing method used is a normative juridical approach and the writing specification is analytical descriptive. This study concludes that the application of ISO 9000 in non-contractual categories can still provide legal certainty to consumers.

BEEP: An advisory pig welfare assessment tool developed by farmers for farmers

Farm animal welfare is now an obvious goal for all livestock stakeholders. However, the ways to improve it are neither easy nor evident for animal caretakers or their advisers. Most welfare assessment tools are not designed to be used by farmers but by scientists, vets, breeding advisers or certification bodies. Our project hypothesised that animal welfare could be improved more markedly if farmers could assess the welfare of their pigs themselves, and discuss it with their breeding advisers. Sixteen voluntary farmers, five voluntary breeding advisers, three scientific experts on pig welfare, a pig veterinarian and a specialist in co-design worked together to develop a pig welfare evaluation tool that could be used for self-assessment on pig farms. The tool was constructed in four steps: 1) identifying pig welfare indicators, 2) selecting the best indicators and developing a measurement protocol, 3) testing the tool on farms, 4) giving farmers feedback and validating the tool. All the steps were carried out through working groups. Discussions on welfare indicators led to a list of the most important indicators according to the farmers and advisers, focusing on Welfare Quality® Protocol items “good feeding, good housing, good health and appropriate behaviour”. To be useful on farms, each indicator selected was reformulated into one or more measurements. The tool, known as “BEEP”, currently consists of a folder of documents to be brought onto farms. It focuses only on growing pigs and was designed to take no more than two hours to implement. The BEEP tool makes farmers aware of animal welfare issues and helps them to improve the welfare of their livestock. BEEP is currently being disseminated in France, where the farmers are trained to use it. It is positively welcomed by other farmers and their representatives as it was developed with and for farmers. The next step is to develop an electronic application.

Future of quality management system (ISO 9001) certification: novel grey forecasting approach

Regarded as one of the most effective tools to guide quality systems management, ISO 9001 is a valuable certification. Yet, the growth observed throughout the world by this standard provides a strong polarisation of interest in this practice by the companies. Our research goals are to analyze and forecast trends involving ISO 9001 certification of six countries, China, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and India. We gathered ISO 9001 countrywide certification data over nine years from 2018 to 2026. The methods used in this study include Even GM (1, 1), Discrete GM (1, 1) and Non-homogeneous discrete grey model (NDGM) with an accompanying synthetic growth rate and synthetic doubling time grey models to investigate the comparison among these countries. The result reveals that Germany will likely continue to lead ISO 9001 certifications at a country level through 2026. We also find that Japan and UK required more time for ISO 9001 certification to double than other countries. Our forecasting of the uptake of the ISO 9001 standard is significant for the certification bodies to understand market diffusion and trends. Implications include this study providing valuable policy guidelines for decision-makers, and new opportunities for further research for scholars.

The Effects of External Auditors and Certification Bodies on the Operational and Market-Oriented Outcomes of ISO 9001 Implementation

Many studies on ISO 9001 have been focused on the motivation, the implementation process, and the outcomes of the implementation of the standard. This article seeks to advance the knowledge on ISO 9001 implementation by examining two research issues. First, we investigate the relationship between external auditors, certification bodies, and the operational and market-oriented outcomes from the ISO 9001 certification. Second, we study the different roles played by external auditors and certification bodies in affecting the outcomes achieved from the quality of implementation of the standard. Using a dataset comprising 537 firms from Australia and New Zealand that are ISO 9001 certified, our findings show that the quality of external auditors enhances operational outcomes as well as strengthens the relationship between ISO 9001 implementation and operational outcomes. This affirms the role of external auditors in the implementation of the standard. On the other hand, the reputation of certification bodies has a positive direct effect on market-oriented outcome, and its effect is strengthened by the quality of ISO 9001 implementation. The findings, therefore, show the contrasting roles between external auditors and certification bodies in enhancing different outcomes of ISO 9001 adoption in terms of operational and market-oriented ones.

Validation of novel food safety climate components and assessment of their indicators in Central and Eastern European food industry

Important insight into the Central and Eastern European food industry, beyond traditional food safety (FS) management and reflects on its food safety climate or the human route of its food safety culture is provided. Novel FS climate self-assessment tool was developed and validated by 65 FS experts from governmental agencies, third party certification bodies, food sector associations, universities and food industry. Three original FS climate components: FS knowledge, business priorities and FS legislation, were introduced and their nine components were assessed in nine Central and Eastern European countries involving 470 food companies. FS knowledge was better assessed in big and medium sized than in small companies. Knowledge component was equally assessed as good, irrespective of the FS risk profile of the food company surveyed while certified FS management system was charted by higher FS knowledge scores within a same food company. Business priorities in Central and Eastern European food organizations were related to hygiene and food safety and were always put before profit regardless of the company size. Hygiene and food safety were seen equality as a critical business success factor irrespective of the associated level of riskiness. FS climate legislation component in all food organizations surveyed was assessed affirmatively. Central and Eastern European food companies seemed to avoid problems in cooperation and trust between food safety leaders and other employees, since they have perceived FS climate highly and similarly. EU operating food companies had comparable overall FS climate to non-EU companies mostly because they have equally perceived their business priorities and appropriateness of associated FS legislation. The only exception was the FS knowledge that was better assessed in EU than non-EU food enterprises.

Sustainable Management of Acacia auriculiformis Plantations for Wood Production over Four Successive Rotations in South Vietnam

Vietnam’s forestry sector is facing rising demands for wood to support national and rural economies, and rural livelihoods. A feasible option to meet this demand is to improve productivity in the current plantation estates, especially in those owned by thousands of small growers. Growers have invested in short-rotation acacia plantations primarily for the woodchip market, but are being urged through government policies and pressured by certification bodies and some NGOs to shift to longer rotations, preferentially, for growing saw logs. In this context, we examined the productivity of an Acacia auriculiformis plantation in South Vietnam, over four successive rotations, spanning 25 years. We show that it is possible to increase and sustain wood production in the long term, by applying simple but integrated management practices, recognizing that the conservation of site resources is critical for sustainability. Practices which depleted site organic matter and nutrients lead to a hidden, but high, cumulative loss of production. Given the site and soil damaging practices prevalent in the country, it is likely that production foregone in those sites may be equivalent to the yield from one in every four or five rotations harvested. With sound management including the conservation of site resources, planting the best germplasm, appropriate stocking and judicious use of herbicide, total wood production and the proportion of saw logs (50–70% of the commercial wood at about 7 years of age) can be increased substantially. At the same time, these practices also can promote understory development and diversity in the stand. Such holistic benefits are possible without extending the rotation length and/or thinning, which are likely to raise the levels of risks for small growers, who are not covered by any insurance. Investments and support for small growers to enable higher productivity and value per unit area in their holdings, through sustainable management, would offer practical and low-risk options for the benefits of growers, processors and ecosystems.

Halal food marketing: an evaluation of UK halal standards

PurposeBecause of the economic significance of the Halal meat market, many food business operators have started trading in Halal meat products. Some businesses rely solely on the services of Halal certification bodies (HCBs) to assure Halal consumers as to the authenticity of Halal meat products. However, the lack of unified national or global Halal standards has resulted in confusion as to what is authentic Halal. This paper aims to survey HCBs in the UK to highlight the major differences between the various Halal standards with regard to Halal meat production.Design/methodology/approachOut of 15 HCBs that the authors contacted, 9 agreed to participate in the study. Respondents were asked to indicate what slaughter practices are acceptable according to their standard and further indicate if their respective organisations carried out speciation testing to detect the presence of foreign deoxyribonucleic acid in certified Halal products.FindingsAll nine certifiers indicated that they owned and operated according to a written Halal standard. The majority of certifiers indicated that they accepted pre-slaughter stunning if the stunning did not result in the death of animals prior to exsanguination, a Muslim should perform the slaughter and a short prayer must be recited and only manual (by hand) slaughter is acceptable.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings give an insight into acceptable and prohibited procedures during Halal meat production in the UK. Abattoir operators, meat processors and retailers can use this as a guide when selecting suitable Halal certifiers for their businesses.Originality/valueThe study reveals that there are a number of HCBs in the UK who are all operating according to the different interpretation of the Halal dietary laws. The paper further highlights the different slaughter procedures that are acceptable and prohibited to different certifiers.

IPMS Implementation Efficiency Study Based on Chinese IPMS Standard GB/T 29490

Intellectual property management system (IPMS) standard GB/T 29490-2013 which aims at creating a culture of intellectual property management and improving intellectual management level for enterprises was published by Chinese government in 2013. The main objective of this research is constructing a method to calculate the relative efficiency of IPMS implementation according to the audit result of IPMS standard in order to help manager and IPMS training & consultant body to improve the system to be more efficient and more compliant to IPMS standard. Two evaluation models have been developed so as to achieve the valuation of inputs and outputs which are used in calculating the relative efficiency of IPMS implementation efficiency using Data envelop analysis. The case study indicates the method developed in the research can be effectively applied in benchmarking to find out the deficiency of IPMS practices and enhance the IP management level of efficient companies and to help certification body to figure out the limitation of the audit and improve the audit skill.

The Transition from Natural/Traditional Goods to Organic Products in an Emerging Market

The consumption of natural, green, organic products represents an increasingly important subject for contemporary society, organizations, consumers and researchers. Demographic and cultural factors, traditions and consumption habits, along with the individual desire to adopt a healthy lifestyle in accordance with principles of sustainability and environmental protection are relevant vectors in the search, choice and consumption of green products. Producers and retailers have identified the interest of modern consumers, introducing a varied range of green grocery and non-food products to match expectations and needs. Using the case study method, this paper highlights the transition of the organic market in an emerging European country: Romania. During the era of state economy, organic and natural products were interchangeable, but after liberalization of the market, the rise of the organic sector began with the establishment of inspection and certification bodies, establishment of procedures, and the appearance of specialized agricultural farms, processors and sellers. Consumers understood soon enough the advantages and benefits of organic products and a healthy lifestyle, and the market for organic products has been developing steadily. We show the current state of development and discuss its evolution, outlining the different market statistics, and making recommendations regarding future development possibilities.

Lost in Translation? Multiple Discursive Strategies and the Interpretation of Sustainability in the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry

The term ‘sustainability’ is vague and open to interpretation. In this paper we analyze how firms use the term in an effort to make the concept their own, and how it becomes a premise for further decisions, by applying a bottom-up approach focusing on the interpretation of ‘sustainability’ in the Norwegian salmon-farming industry. The study is based on a strategic selection of informants from the industry and the study design rests on: 1) identification of the main drivers of sustainability, and 2) the application of five different discursive strategies to analyze how the firms maneuver to legitimize ‘sustainability’ in their conduct. We employ the Critical Discourse Analysis framework, which emphasizes how discourses provide different concepts of meaning. The sustainability concept is assessed based on how sustainability is brought into action by social actors in a legitimate way, and how this action results in sustainable practices. The empirical case of the study is the verbal justification of sustainability practices among representatives of the Norwegian salmon-farming industry. We aim to find out how these representatives translate the rather vague directives of the sustainability concept into legitimate choices that resonate with the firms’ contextual environment, hence, how the salmon farmers perceive, explore, interpret, explain, enact, and defend the diverse landscape of sustainability when implementing professional decisions. We found a trend of passive adaptation to external requirements, such as public regulations and regulative requirements from certification bodies. At the same time, there are progressive forces that attempt to improve the sustainability of the farming practices by involvement in research and innovation projects or cooperation with other firms, e.g. the contribution from offshore engineers in developing high seas farms. The strategies outlined and discussed cannot be seen as a typology to categorize the firms. More than one discursive strategy may be involved in one firm’s choice, and the strategies may work on different levels.

Potential and prospect analysis of labor market in education in the fields of renewable energy engineering, industrial automation and robotics, and automotive engineering

The large number of graduate graduates who work not in accordance with the competence and rapid industrial revolution that occurred, demanding the implementation of higher education that is competent and relevant to the course of national development now and for the future. This paper will present the results of research on the prospects and employment potential of graduates of vocational education in the fields of renewable energy (RE), industrial automation and robotics (IAR) and automotive engineering (AE) in the industrial era 4.0 and driving technology. The aim of this research is to obtain a picture of the feasibility of developing the organization of vocational education in RE, IAR and AE study programs at the Faculty of Technology and Vocational Education (FPTK) Bandung Indonesia Education University. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. Data collection is done by studying and discussing; student interests and teacher conditions in 10 vocational high schools in the Bandung and Cimahi regions; the views of academics, appraisers of professional certification bodies and study of government policy program documentation in the development of study programs (RE, IAR and AE). From the results of the analysis and focus group discussions it was concluded that the three RE, IAR and AE study programs in the West Java region in particular and generally nationally feasible to be built in FPTK, its existence has a strategic position, prospects and potential for a wide open user market for graduates of third education these fields (RE, IAR and RE) work in the industrial, business and educational institutions.

Exploring hospital certification processes from the certification body\u2019s perspective - a qualitative study

BackgroundHospital certification is an external assessment mechanism to assure quality and safety systems. Auditors representing the certification body play a key role in certification processes, as they perform the assessment activities and interact with the involved healthcare organizations. There is limited knowledge about the approaches and methods that auditors use, such as role repertoire, conduct, and assessment practice. The purpose of this study was to explore auditors’ practice in hospital certification processes, guided by the following research questions: What styles do auditors apply in hospital certification processes, and how do auditors perceive their role in hospital certification processes?MethodsThe study was performed in two stages. In the first stage, non-participant observations (59 h) were conducted, to explore the professional practice of three lead auditors in certification processes of Norwegian hospitals. In the second stage, semi-structured interviews were conducted with these three observed lead auditors. The role repertoires and conducts identified were analyzed by using a deductive approach according to a surveyor (equivalent with auditor) styles typology framework.ResultsTwo distinct auditor styles (“explorer” and “discusser”) were identified among the three studied auditors. Both styles were characterized by their preference for an opportunistic and less structured type of interview practice during certification audits. All three auditors embedded a guiding approach (reflections about findings, stimulate improvements, experience transfer from other industries) to their perception and practice of certification audits, interacting with the auditees. The use of group interviews instead of individual interviews during certification audits, was the rule of their professional practice.ConclusionThe auditors’ perceptions and styles demonstrated a multifaceted certification reality, in contrast to what is often presumed as consistent, stringent and independent practices. These findings may have implications for reliability judgements when developing hospital certification programs, and for the refinement of the current framework used here to study the different auditing practices.

What GDPR Tells on Certification

The EU lawmaker has introduced several certification models in the GDPR. A first model entitles accredited private certification bodies to design and manage certification schemes under the close monitoring of the supervisory authorities. Another model gives to the supervisory authorities the opportunity to design and manage their own schemes. But the EU lawmaker has also left the door open to the establishment of schemes at the margin of the data protection framework. Nothing in the GDPR prohibits to create certification schemes outside Articles 42/43 regime. The diversity of arrangements shows that certification is a flexible system capable to adapt to many different situations and environments. This is also a free market that proves to be difficult, if not impossible, to entirely monitor. These basic features challenge the original attempt of the EU lawmaker to monitor the design and management of certification schemes in the GDPR. Moreover, the GDPR also says that the definition of certification suggested by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) does not fully map this notion as designed in the GDPR. The data protection regulation offers a much more accurate picture of certification than the one proposed by the EDPB. The GDPR shows that the nature of certification is basically contextual. It depends on the arrangement of the scheme and the purposes for which this instrument is used. The analysis of the monitoring process of the code of conduct set in Article 41 GDPR helps to define certification. It shows this is neither the attestation of conformity nor the conformity assessment that best defines certification. The very nature of certification lies in its nature of ex ante enforcement instrument.

ISO/IEC 27701: Threats and Opportunities for GDPR Certification

The paper assesses the possible consequences for Article 42/43 certification of the recently published ISO/IEC 27701:2019 standard. The new ISO standard establishes a management system that aims to manage ‘the processes for protecting the capture, accountability, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of personal data.’ The conformity with the standard’s requirements is certifiable by the private certification bodies interested in providing this service to businesses. The paper shows that ISO/IEC 27701:2019 based certification possesses many assets to dominate the market of data protection certification and, thus, compete with the approach supported by the European supervisory authorities on data protection. ISO based certification offers many operational advantages to businesses which are looking for a workable solution to streamline information security and data protection in their organization. In the meantime, the EU supervisory authorities are still wandering on the right option to approve certification schemes under Article 42/43 regime. A strong uptake of ISO/IEC 27701:2019 based certification alongside Article 42/43 certification could confuse the general public and eventually threaten Article 42/43 implementation. But it could also offer an opportunity to the European supervisory authorities to spread data protection principles beyond EU borders and clarify the relationships they intend to establish between Article 42/43 certification and ISO standards based one.

Hierarchical aggregation of energy performance indicators in continuous production processes

The mitigation of the climate change requires a significant reduction of the fossil energy consumption in all industrial sectors. The implementation of formalized management systems supports the industry to continuously improve the energy performance which is measured using so called “Energy Performance Indicators”. One essential requirement for the evaluation is the correction of these indicators and the corresponding baselines by the influences of external static or dynamic factors, e.g. the ambient conditions, the product spectrum or the plant load. This is in particular difficult for large integrated production sites as e.g. in the chemical industry. In this contribution, an aggregation method is proposed to exploit the analysis of the factors on lower hierarchical layers for the evaluation of the performance of an aggregated domain. Thereby, the resulting aggregated indicator and the corresponding baseline consider all the identified factors from the lower layers, which facilitates the analysis and allocation of possible savings potentials. The concept is applied exemplarily to an integrated chemical production site and the contributions of each plant to the deviation of the energy performance of the site are analyzed. The method facilitates the verification of the improvement of the energy performance as required by ISO 50001:2018 and helps decision makers to prioritize investments in energy efficiency projects. The results can be used for discussions with policy-makers, certification bodies and other stakeholders on energy efficiency targets.

Application of National Sectors in the Procedure of NDT Personnel Certification

A comprehensive analysis of the concept “sector”, as one of the main components of the certification area of a specialist in non-destructive testing (NDT) in accordance with the requirements of the international standard EN ISO 9712, was carried out. Features and differences of the lists of sectors regulated by regulatory documents that establish the requirements for certification of NDT personnel are considered in the voluntary (DSTU EN ISO 9712) and legislatively regulated (NPAOP 0.00-1.63-13) areas of Ukraine. The features of the areas of accreditation of Personnel Certification Bodies (OSB) in the field of non-destructive testing of Ukraine and some countries of the European Union are considered. The analysis of sectors with which non-destructive testing personnel is certified was performed. Personnel certification bodies accredited by the National Accreditation Agency of Ukraine (NAAU) and national accreditation bodies of the Great Britain, Germany and Nordic countries in accor­dance with the requirements of the international standard EN ISO / IEC 17024. The differences in product and manufacturing sectors re­gulated by the standard EN ISO 9712 and established by the areas of accreditation of PCB in the field of non-destructive control of Ukraine and selected European countries. The basic principles are stated in accordance with which an additional (national) sector should be created. On the example of the analysis of differences in the production sectors “production” and “control before and during ope­ration, including production” according to EN ISO 9712, various aspects of non-destructive testing that affect the criteria for the formation of additional (national) production sectors were considered. The possibility and appropriateness of introducing national sectors into the certification procedures of Personnel Certification Bodies for non-destructive testing in Ukraine are considered.