ISO 9000 among Australian companies: impact of time and reasons for seeking certification on perceptions of benefits received

Utilizes a survey of 272 Australian ISO 9002 quality certified companies to examine two issues: first, the relationship between a company’s initial motivation for seeking certification (QCert) and its perception of the benefits it has received; and, second, the impact of time on perceptions of benefits received. Companies which sought QCert because of an externally-imposed perception of the necessity to “obtain a certificate” were found to experience fewer beneficial outcomes of QCert, in comparison with companies which sought QCert because of an internally-driven desire to improve organizational performance. Additionally, no evidence was found that longer-certified companies experience more benefits than recently-certified companies, regardless of the initial motivation for seeking QCert. Cautions against the drive towards “forcing” companies to seek QCert as a result of a perception of an external threat. Such a process appears to be counterproductive.