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Original research
BEYOND CERTIFICATION: HOW ISO 9001 QUALITY MANAGEMENT DRIVES ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE - A MULTI-SECTOR EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONPages 79-88
Abstract:
The objective is to empirically analyze how ISO 9001 certification can contribute to social and environmental performance. Drawing on institutional theory, the resource-based view, and stakeholder theory, this study develops and tests an integrative model linking ISO 9001 quality management practices to environmental performance (EP) and social performance (SP) across 421 certified firms operating in manufacturing, services, and construction sectors. Structural equation modelling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) is employed, combined with bootstrapped mediation analysis (5,000 replications) to examine whether organizational learning and stakeholder engagement mediate this relationship. Findings reveal that ISO 9001 practices significantly predict both EP (β = 0.614, p < 0.001) and SP (β = 0.587, p < 0.001), with partial mediation through organizational learning and stakeholder engagement. Effect sizes are substantial (f² ≥ 0.35), and results hold across sectors and firm sizes. This study has four major limitations. First, its cross-sectional approach prevents the establishment of definitive causal links. Second, the use of self-reported and perceptual data exposes the study to social desirability bias, which will require the use of more objective indicators in future research. Furthermore, the multisectoral sample may mask disparities specific to each sector of activity, suggesting a need to focus on industries with a high environmental or social impact. Finally, the study fails to analyze the concurrent adoption of the ISO 14001 standard, limiting our understanding of the normative synergies between quality and environmental performance. This study has significant practical implications. For quality managers, ISO 9001 goes beyond mere operational efficiency: incorporating sustainability metrics and environmental criteria into supplier audits maximizes overall performance. For CSR directors, this standard offers a ready-to-use platform. Utilizing its documentation framework and audit mechanisms avoids the need to design costly parallel systems, thereby reducing implementation costs. Finally, policymakers can incorporate ISO 9001 certification into green public procurement criteria and ESG ratings, highlighting this standard as a mark of sustainable management capability. These findings advance the quality–sustainability nexus literature by identifying the structural mechanisms and predictive pathways through which quality management associates with operational and sustainability outcomes to generate broader societal value. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Keywords:
ISO 9001, quality management, environmental performance, social performance, institutional theory, organizational learning, stakeholder engagement.
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Rouchd Hassani,
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