Title: Mapping out ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other management system standards

Authors: Inaki Heras-Saizarbitoria

Addresses: E.U.E. Empresariales, University of the Basque Country, Plaza Onati 1, San Sebastian 20018, Spain

Abstract: In the last two decades, we have witnessed an acceleration of the process of standardisation with regard to business management. Standards which correspond to the standardisation of a very wide range of aspects of business activity, such as quality management (e.g. ISO 9001), environmental management (e.g. ISO 14001), the prevention of occupational hazards and the provision of health and safety regulations in the workplace (e.g. OHSAS 18001) and corporate social responsibility (e.g. SA 8000) have been launched. All of these standards tend to have a very similar methodology in relation to their creation, structure, process of implementation and monitoring by a third party. The current work represents an attempt to synthesise and map this class of standards, known as management system standards, also referred to as meta-standards, which have been so successful in recent years.

Keywords: ISO 9001; quality standards; International Organization for Standardization; international standards; standardisation; management system standards; meta-standards; ISO 14001; environmental management systems; EMS; OHSAS 18001; occupational health; occupational safety; SA 8000; Social Accountability International; USA; United States; workplace standards; human rights; working conditions; Investors in People; UK; United Kingdom; business management; occupational hazards; regulations; corporate social responsibility; CSR; third party monitoring; productivity; quality management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2011.041096

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2011 Vol.8 No.1, pp.33 - 44

Published online: 07 Jul 2011 *

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