Management Systems Standards: Diffusion, Impact and Governance of ISO 9000, ISO 14000, and Other Management Standards

Abstract

Management systems standards have become ubiquitous, adopted by millions of organizations around the world. The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 quality and environmental management systems standards are the most well-known, but standards exist or are emerging for many other aspects of management too. Such a widespread phenomenon invites many questions. Key among those are why organizations adopt these standards, what effect they have on organizations, and how the standards themselves are managed. Although the literature investigating these standards is vast, it is scattered across many disciplines, and largely disjointed. This monograph provides a comprehensive overview of the empirical research on ISO 9000, ISO 14000, and other management standards, revolving around the three key questions above.