An examination of strategies employed for the integration of management systems
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is an empirical study of the organisational approaches used for integration of management systems (MSs) and the comparative effectiveness of such approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
Research employed four case studies. Results are derived from the analysis of triangulated evidence obtained from in‐depth interviews, observations, internal documents analysis, archives, and short questionnaires.
Findings
Results identified two archetypes of integration strategies termed “systems approach” and “techno‐centric approach”. Maximum benefits are achieved by using a systems approach to integration of MSs, while using the techno‐centric approach leads to benefits mainly at the operational level.
Research limitations/implications
This research is qualitative and, as such, does not investigate the integration of MSs across a large number of organisations. The research does not investigate the causality between strategies employed for integration and their outcomes.
Originality/value
There is little empirical research to date on the strategies employed for integration of MSs and their effectiveness. This research contributes to both literature and practice by demonstrating that a systems approach gives rise to greater integration throughout various organisational levels and greater benefits as compared to other approaches.
Keywords
Citation
Asif, M., Fisscher, O.A.M., Joost de Bruijn, E. and Pagell, M. (2010), "An examination of strategies employed for the integration of management systems", The TQM Journal, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 648-669. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542731011085320
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited