Management System Certification Research Articles

Food Safety Management System (FSMS): An Analysis of Restaurant Certificate Schemes in Malaysia

Customers of restaurants encounter some degree of uncertainty or risk due to their inability to evaluate the food or service qualities received before or after meal consumption. The Food Safety Management System (FSMS) certification schemes are intended to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses in Malaysia and to be used as a communication instrument to address the issue of information asymmetry. This investigation investigates the diverse FSMS certification programs that are accessible to food establishments, with a particular emphasis on restaurant operations in Malaysia. The study is dedicated to the identification of the concept of various FSMS certificate schemes that are designed and implemented in Malaysian restaurant operations. It also discusses the fundamental concept of the role differences of each FSMS certificate scheme that is obtained by numerous restaurant operations in Malaysia to communicate with potential customers. A content analysis was conducted on ten independent Malaysian-owned restaurants that had obtained and disclosed their FSMS certifications online (i.e., through their official website or social media account) to the public. All participating restaurant premises believe food safety certification through appropriate authorities is crucial, particularly in the context of the provision of information regarding sanitation, safety, and nutrition to guarantee high food quality standards and service delivery. FSMS eliminates the knowledge asymmetry between producers and consumers and demonstrates that a certified party adheres to a recognised standard. This investigation suggested that the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) should function as more than merely a mechanism for guaranteeing the safety and quality of food for consumers. It contributes to the establishment of client trust and confidence in the restaurant and improves the image of food businesses.

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

This paper presents a systematic approach to environmental management of pollution and/or hazards caused by construction projects. It proposes a qualitative approach to assess and control the problem and a method to calculate the Construction Pollution Index (CPI) which provides a quantitative measurement of pollution and/or hazards caused by the construction projects. Questionnaires were distributed to the organization and the results were made into percentage, level of readiness index and regression test to analyze the organizations responds. Results was analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences tools Environmental impact assessments (EIA) and environmental management systems (EMS) enable organizations to identify, access and manage environmental impacts throughout a development's lifecycle, improving overall environmental performance. Based on the analysis and discussions, the paper further proposes that major construction companies should obtain ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) certifications. Keywords: environmental management, hazards, Environmental impact assessments (EIA), environmental management systems (EMS).

The credibility of external audits of management systems – the audited enterprises’ perspective

Purpose This paper deals with external audits, which are now commonly used in many industries (e.g. food, automotive and electrical). This study aims to assess whether a given organization meets the specific criteria. If the audit ends with a positive result, information about it is provided to selected interested parties, e.g. clients or contractors. Credibility is pivotal in adding value for all interested parties within the audit processes. This study seeks the factors which, in the opinion of the audited enterprises, have the most decisive impact on the credibility of external audits. Design/methodology/approach In keeping with the extant literature, research questions were developed regarding the factors influencing the credibility assessment of external audits. Data collected from 100 companies in the Polish food sector were used to construct the model and carry out statistical analyses. Linear regression analyses were also applied to determine the key factors influencing the credibility of audits. Findings This study is part of the research trend on the rationality of external audits and certification of quality management systems. This paper identifies nine main factors shaping the credibility of external audits. Two of them have the most decisive influence on credibility. The first one is the professional audit method (procedure). The second factor is the auditor’s knowledge of the specificity of the audited area. Research limitations/implications This study did not consider the impact that the image/credibility of the organization represented by the auditors may have on the reliability of audits. This is one of the fundamental limitations that should be considered when analyzing the obtained results. To recognize this type of dependence, additional research should be carried out. Another limitation is that the research covers the food industry only. It would be interesting to know the situation in other types of industries. Practical implications This paper looks at the possibility of increasing the added value for audited enterprises. The proposed model can be used by managers of organizations conducting external audits and auditors to effectively use resources for process improvement, influencing the maximization of credibility of activities in the area of conformity assessment. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in adopting the perspective of audited enterprises in assessing the credibility of audits. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that adopts this approach. This paper contributes to the literature, particularly to better understand audited enterprises’ behavior (trust in audit results, satisfaction with audits, etc.).

Impact of Environmental Regulation on Corporate Green Technological Innovation: The Moderating Role of Corporate Governance and Environmental Information Disclosure

Environmental degradation is an important issue facing the world today. Microcosmically, green technical innovation is needed to decrease environmental pollution. Therefore, exploring the relationship between the two is of great significance for promoting environmental protection and sustainable development. Thus, this research elucidates the interaction between green innovation (GI) and environmental regulations (ERs). This study utilizes the fixed effects model to examine how government environmental protection subsidies (EPSs) in market-incentive ER and environmental management system certification (EMSC) in voluntary participatory ER affect GI among listed companies in China. The sample observation period is from 2012 to 2021. Additionally, the impact of corporate governance (CGL) and environmental information disclosure (EID) on the relationship between ERs and GI within businesses is investigated. The empirical results show that both government environmental protection subsidies and environmental management system certification positively affect green innovation, and both corporate governance and environmental information disclosure positively moderate the impact of government environmental protection subsidies and environmental management system certification on green innovation. The above empirical results are still valid after a robustness test and can guide the formulation of government ERs, as well as corporate strategies for environmental management and GI.

Readiness of Local Educational Institution for ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification: A Comprehensive Analysis

Business certifications and accreditations are increasingly crucial for organizations, especially in educational institutions, to demonstrate service quality and gain a competitive edge. Quality management systems (QMS) will support these objectives and enhance product and service quality. This study specifically examines the readiness of local educational institution for ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification. It also evaluated the degree of impact among the respondents in terms of compliance with the QMS standard clauses. Additionally, the study identified the challenges faced by local educational institutions in obtaining ISO certification. The research design employed a descriptive approach and a survey questionnaire. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 215 administration and academic personnel. The findings indicated that the assessment level for ISO 9001 is ready. However, among independent variables, leadership is the most important factor in demonstrating a high level of readiness for ISO certification. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to quality management requirements. Furthermore, the assessment differed when respondents were grouped according to their profiles. In addition, the respondents identified moderate issues related to resistance to change and a lack of proper organizational structure. Therefore, local educational institution must view certification as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time project. They should establish routine processes to maintain the ISO standard, improve the institution’s image, and raise employees’ awareness of the QMS in their day-to-day operations.

Does environmental management system certification affect green innovation performance?-Based on a moderated mediating effects model.

What is the impact of environmental management system certification on green innovation performance, and is it a futile endeavor or a profitable one? Grounded in the principles of ecological civilization construction and green development, this study embarks on a comprehensive examination. Initially, it investigates the varying impacts of environmental management system certification on both traditional innovation performance and green innovation performance. Subsequently, it dissects the underlying mechanisms and moderating factors influencing the latter, including an exploration of intermediary effects. The empirical findings of this study are as follows: (i) Environmental management system certification emerges as a catalyst for innovation performance, with the primary impact observed in the realm of green innovation performance. (ii) Social responsibility disclosure is identified as a mediating factor in the relationship between environmental management system certification and green innovation performance. (iii) Larger enterprises, those equipped with robust equity incentives, and those operating in less competitive markets are more prone to benefit from the impact of environmental management system certification on social responsibility disclosure. This, in turn, amplifies the promotion of green innovation performance. However, the moderating effect of property rights on the mediating path remains statistically insignificant. (iv) Environmental management system certification exerts a more pronounced influence on green innovation performance in regions characterized by lower economic development. Moreover, it particularly stimulates exploratory green innovation performance, surpassing its impact on exploitative green innovation performance.

Food safety management system certification - the organization's commitment to control food safety hazards

Food products are an important source of food for consumers around the world, and obtaining safe food products is an essential requirement. Economic operators in the food industry have conformed to the requirements of the legislation imposed by the EU, to ensure and send to the market safe products for consumers, taking into account the supply chain. At the national and international levels, the bodies that are involved directly or indirectly in the food chain must offer the market, but also the consumer, safe products according to their needs and expectations. Regarding the consumption economy and the quality and safety of food products, multinationals have approached new values regarding them. Precisely to achieve this, a series of standards were introduced at the EU level that organizations must comply with to design, implement, and certify management systems that refer to food safety to bring benefits to all parties involved.

Exploring the influence of green supply chain practices on performance nexus

This exploration examines the potential effects of certain control variables, like firm age, possession, and size of an environmental management organization certification, on any collaborative execution when adapting green supply chain system habits. The study will examine how these variables may influence different features of collective performance. This study employs a multi-step methodology, including a thorough review of existing literature, an empirical survey of 223 participant organizations, and an arithmetical examination to test the proposed conceptual structure to inform the two prospective and matter-of-fact outlooks. The studies have three phases. First, complete written work is reviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Next, a survey is conducted with responses from 223 participant organizations, and the data is collected. Finally, multiple retrogression analysis is used to evaluate the effects of firm age, possession, and firm size of an environmental management system certification on four elements of associated execution. The study's findings indicate a constructive correlation between fit size and these elements of corporate execution: social, environmental, and economic presentation. So, no connection was found between firm size and functional efficiency. Additionally, the study found that controlling an ecological management organization certification within Pakistani firms had a good effect on all staging elements when firm age did not correlate significantly with any of the four execution results. This study gives practical guides to supply chain executives in Pakistan and other nearby markets to understand better the correlation between these control variables and the execution on collective outcomes.

Proposed Quality Plan for Shipbuilding in Indonesia Based on ISO 10005:2018

Ensuring quality is of utmost importance for the shipbuilding sector, as it involves addressing both the quality of processes and the final products to achieve efficient and cost-effective manufacturing. It has become a standard practice for shipyards to adopt certifiable management systems. ISO 9001:2015 sets out the necessary criteria for a Quality Plan, which is influenced by the company's overall quality policy and contractual obligations. In this context, ISO 10005:2018 offers guidance that can be utilized within the framework of quality plans to meet the specific requirements of a project. Several quality plans for Indonesian shipyards, only adopting ISO 9001 and ISO 10005:2018, have yet to be widely implemented. Thus, this paper adopts ISO 10005:2018 to identify the quality plan of three selected shipyards in Indonesia. The gap analysis technique is used to compare the current state of the quality plan with the desired conditions outlined in the ISO 10005:2018 standard. The identified gaps will determine the areas that require immediate attention and improvement in order to meet the requirements of ISO 10005:2018. The primary objective of this study is to facilitate the creation of a quality plan that adheres to the ISO 9001 and 10005 standards. Based on the comparison results of quality plans according to ISO 10005:2018 in shipyards A, B, and C, the recommendation is to integrate distinct clauses (6.4, 6.7.1, 6.7.3, 6.10, 6.13, and 6.15) to improve the quality plans across these specific shipyards.

Factors affecting Quality 4.0 implementation in Czech, Slovak and Polish organizations: Preliminary research

With the proliferation of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, the inadequacy of conventional quality management tools has become increasingly apparent. The preliminary investigation presented in this paper focuses on the identification of the Quality 4.0 readiness level of organizations operating in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, as well as affecting factors. The study is based on the review of relevant literature. The web-based questionnaire enabling organizations' representatives through Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) to take part in the study was used. Data from 298 completed responses were subjected to comprehensive analysis. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing were applied to analyse the data. Small and medium-sized organizations achieve low levels of Quality 4.0 readiness. Large organizations are better prepared. The study confirmed the dependence between the Quality 4.0 readiness level and whether the organization operates in automotive, while automotive organizations achieved a higher level of Quality 4.0 readiness than other organizations. The significant relationship between the Quality 4.0 readiness level and whether the organization has a certified management system was also confirmed. Received data also enabled the identification of the main barriers and benefits of Quality 4.0 implementation perceived by the organizations. The research findings identify the challenges that enterprises face regarding the Quality 4.0 implementation and the necessary support that organizations require. These findings can be a foundation for developing novel research initiatives and implementation programs. The research results contribute to the existing body of knowledge and bring new information and insights into the field of quality digitalization.

Strategic CSR: Framework for Sustainability through Management Systems Standards—Implementing and Disclosing Sustainable Development Goals and Results

This study proposes a framework to integrate sustainability within management systems standards and subsequently implement and disclose sustainable development (SD) goals and results. Moreover, it investigates the SD goals (SDGs) and results (SDRs) that Portuguese organizations with integrated management systems (IMSs) disclose to their interested parties. The study, supported by content analysis, highlights that four most frequently disclosed SDGs are “life on land” (50.0%), “industry, innovation, and infrastructure” (47.1%), “responsible consumption and production” (47.1%), and “partnerships for the goals” (47.1%). The four SDRs most frequently disclosed are “employment” (82.4%), “economic performance” (79.4%), “anticorruption” (64.7%), and “occupational health and safety” (61.8%). Hence, SDG disclosure emphasizes the environmental dimension, while SDR disclosure highlights the social dimension (economic dimension present in both SDGs and SDRs). Finally, the disclosure of SDGs and SDRs in institutional reports presents a positive and strong correlation that is statistically significant. Overall, the contributions of this research are twofold. First, it highlights the awareness of SD goals and results publications within organizations with certified management systems standards, therefore supporting the integration of the SDGs within those organizations, and second, it stimulates the demonstration of their impacts on the SDGs (the SDRs).

Managing Relations between the Company “Apa-Canal Chişinau” JSC and Stakeholders

The process of implementation and certification of management systems, such as ISO standards, brings many benefits to “Apă-Canal Chişinău” JSC, through which the company’s marketing intensifies the confidence offered to customers regarding the fact that business activity is carried out at high international standards. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the management of stakeholders within the “Apă-Canal Chişinău” JSC. The objectives of this paper include the identification of the benefits brought to companies by the standards of the ISO series in which it is certified, as well as the analysis of a series of internal documents that regulate the stakeholder management process. In addition, in order to optimize the stakeholder management, the author developed and submitted for implementation the “Stakeholder management procedure” within the “Apă-Canal Chişinău” JSC. The given procedure will allow easier identification of stakeholders’ expectations, as well as better management of development projects.

‘Risky Business’: A Comprehensive Risk Analysis of an Accreditation Body

Risk assessment and risk-based thinking are both key aspects considering the multi-faceted activities inherent in Conformity Assessment. As an Accreditation Body (AB), risk assessment is used to ensure a consistent, data-based approach towards accreditation of conformity assessment bodies. The following paper presents methodology, lessons learned, and best practices found while conducting risk management at the AB level within the Global Conformity Assessment industry. It provides a framework for conducting a Modified Fink Risk Assessment and Analysis for use by various organizations, including accreditation and conformity assessment bodies, such as testing and calibration laboratories, inspection agencies, product and personnel certification bodies, management system certification bodies, etc.

The Internal Audit Process as a Tool for the Certification of Management Systems

The rise of international certifications such as ISO in globalized markets is due to a strong need to ensure that all suppliers and customers provide proof of their effectiveness and efficiency, regardless of their geographical location. This manuscript aims to present in a simple way the certification and auditing processes in conjunction with the experience gained by the authors as part of a team of internal auditors and to advise companies seeking to certify various management systems; although it is understood that each company has its own needs, this work is written in a general way to be applied as a basic guide.
 It is important to understand that management systems, when adopted by organizations, have several advantages, among them recognition in their market and the satisfaction of the needs of the interested parties. To achieve the certification of such systems, internal audits are an indispensable tool to demonstrate compliance with the corresponding standard to the certifying bodies, besides being a requirement of management systems, they help to detect findings during their implementation that lead to the development and maturity of the systems; considering that the audit team is staff of the organization.
 This dissertation summarizes the steps to be followed in the ISO 9000 certification process of any company or institution, emphasizing the internal audit process and its different implications in an organization.

Measuring the Impact of ISO 9001 on Employee and Customer Related Company Performance

Purpose: According to ISO 9000:2015 “the primary focus of quality management is to meet customer requirements and to strive to exceed customer expectations”, where “a customer can be internal or external to the organization”. Internal customers refer to a company’s employees, while external customers are the buyers of a company’s products and services. Previous research has scrutinised the impact of ISO 9001 on company performance, without clear focus on the performance related to internal and external customers. Methodology/Approach: The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of ISO 9001 on the performance to internal and external customers using a survey that has been responded by 141 companies in the Republic of Serbia. Findings: The results show that quality management system (QMS) certification to ISO 9001 enhances employee- and customer-related company performance, while certification incentives are found to influence this relationship. Research Limitation/Implication: The data are gathered in only one specific country, although there are no reasons to think that the results could depend of the specific analysed region. Originality/Value of paper: The main value of the article is to be one of the first ones to analyse, in any way, the impact of QMS on internal and external customers.

Evaluation Supplier Involve on Food Safety and Halal Criteria using Fuzzy AHP: A Case Study in Indonesia

Selecting or evaluating reliable suppliers is essential to business, and the food industry is no exception. Business operations are at serious risk if suppliers are not properly selected. One of the risks that occur is the risk of food safety and halal. Not many studies have explored this topic, even though this issue is crucial for the Muslim community. This research aims to Evaluate Supplier Involve in Food Safety and Halal Criteria using Fuzzy AHP. It can help food manufacturers decide based on food safety and halal criteria during the supplier selection. The case study is applied to a food industry in Indonesia that produces biscuits. Eight criteria and 17 sub-criteria based on economic, social, and environmental dimensions were used to evaluate suppliers. The results show that the Halal certification system (HP) and product compliance with specifications (Q2) are the most important factors to consider. Third and fourth places are product price criteria (C1) and food safety management system certifications (FS2). Weighted evaluations of food industry suppliers are also possible with Fuzzy AHP.

How to improve the initiative and effectiveness of enterprises to implement environmental management system certification?

Stimulating enterprises to implement environmental management system certification (EMSC, that is to say ISO14001 certification) to the greatest extent and resolving their obstacles in time are the basis for promoting green development of enterprises. Using the full samples of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed industrial enterprises from 2010 to 2019, and employing the Logit model and Propensity Score Matching method (PSM), this paper empirically analyzes the motivations and obstacles for Chinese enterprises to implement EMSC certification, further explores the transformation between advantages and disadvantages under certain conditions, and the differentiation characteristics among enterprises under different social responsibility, property rights and enterprise size. The results show that: ① There is a “U”-shaped relationship between corporate social responsibility and EMSC, and the social responsibility of non-state-owned enterprises could realize the transformation from obstacle to motivation earlier than that of state-owned enterprises. ② There is an inverted “U”-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and EMSC, precisely speaking, this inverted “U”-shaped relationship only exists in non-state-owned enterprises, large-scale enterprises and enterprises with high social responsibility. ③ The public environmental awareness could promote enterprises to implement EMSC, and would strengthen the impact of environmental regulations on enterprises' implementation of EMSC. ④ Based on Propensity Score Matching method, it is concluded that Chinese enterprises indeed improve their environmental performance rather than their financial performance by EMSC. The conclusions provide helpful practical guidance for comprehensively revealing the motivations and obstacles for China's enterprises to implement EMSC.

Analysis of the Influence Mechanisms of Environmental Management System Certification on the Green Innovation of Enterprises: The Exogenous Shock Effect of Environmental Protection Tax

Promoting the green transformation of enterprises is key to achieving the goal of “double carbon” and promoting sustainable economic development. Based on 2012-2021 panel data of Chinese listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen, this study explores how various factors interacting with environmental management system certification (ISO14001 certification) indirectly impact enterprises’ green innovation. The mechanism analysis indicates that enterprises’ management system certification promotes green innovation by improving investment efficiency and alleviating financing constraints. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that this promotion effect of environmental management system certification on enterprise green innovation is primarily reflected in private and large-scale enterprises. Further analysis demonstrates that the implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China in 2018 strengthened the system even further. Compared with state-owned enterprises, this positive effect is primarily concentrated in non-state-owned enterprises. This study provides empirical evidence to confirm the beneficial impact of environmental management system certification and environmental protection tax on corporate green innovation and provides inspiration for the promotion of this practice.

ACI for Safety and Sustainability in Motorsport

ACI has always supported the sustainable planning and management of sporting events, based on the principles of a Corporate Social Responsibility which increasingly combines environmental, ethical and social values, and promotes new lifestyles. In this context, ACI has recently launched an Environmental Certification programme for the most relevant motor sport events at a national level. The goal of the program is to increase the awareness about environmental management issues in order to reduce the sport competitions footprint.The Environmental Certification is the company's commitment to social responsibility to reduce the impact of its activities in compliance with the applicable environmental regulations. This programme includes a multi-step process that starts with the assessment of the current sustainability level of an event and its relevant rating. It then defines a roadmap of potential actions to be implemented to achieve higher levels of accreditation up to the excellence.The accreditation process is based on a three-star rating system, from 1-star “Committed to excellence” to 3-star “Achieving Excellence”.Designed by the Technical Department of the Automobile Club of Italy, the project specifically aims to evaluate the sustainability performance - not only in terms of CO2 produced - of all the activities linked to an event. It also aims to develop a best practice framework and to accredit those stakeholders who adopt it to achieve carbon offsetting and neutrality.The environmental certification complies with the standards and the methodology of the Environmental Accreditation Programme developed by the FIA for the World Motor Racing competitions. The environmental parameters used in the checklists for the quantitative and qualitative assessments are based on the standards set by the international regulations on the certification of sustainable event management systems (ISO).

Research on energy conservation in the hotel industry under Macau’s dependence on external energy

The Macau Special Administrative Region has a special urban form. It is located on the coast of the Pearl River Delta, with a land area of only 33.6 square kilometers. The population living here is close to 700,000. It is the region with the highest population density in the world, and its energy mainly depends on imports. With the new coronavirus epidemic, Macau’s tourism industry has been hit hard, and energy expenditures have risen with changes in the international situation. As an important economic support industry in Macau, the energy conservation development of the hotel industry is extremely important. Since 2007, Macau has launched “The Macau Energy Conservation Week, in conjunction with many departments and tourism companies in Macau, and the establishment of the Macau Green Hotel Award in the same year, have had a profound impact on Macau’s energy consumption savings and improved the efficiency of Macau’s hotel industry in terms of energy use. In pursuit of the goal of carbon peaking, the hotel industry in Macau has generally passed the ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System (EnMS) certification, and most hotels have exceeded the Energy Use Intensity standard assessed by the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index. Under the concept of green energy and other concepts, the hotel industry in Macau has now begun to use renewable energy for hotel use. Top hotels in Macau decreased by an average of 23.6% in 2021. After the return of Macau’s sovereignty, Macau’s unique political attributes and urban characteristics have different standards for the energy use of the entire industry and the characteristics of laws and regulations, which make it have different standards from mainland China. Based on preliminary research on the energy saving and environmental protection of the hotel industry in Macau, this research collects statistics on the energy saving data of the hotel industry and finally proposes improvements based on the energy utilization and environmental protection of the Macau Special Administrative Region and similar coastal peninsula cities.