Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics

Funder

Organizational Unit

Publications

Firm preparation for ISO 9001 certification: the case of the hotel industry in Portugal

Publication . Esgarrancho, Sandra; Candido, Carlos

The purpose of this study is to assess whether companies conduct preparations, such as managing culture, before starting to implement an ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS). Based on a literature review, the paper develops a model of firm preparation for ISO 9001 certification and several research hypotheses. The survey research method adopted consists of data collection through questionnaires – sent to hotels of four and five stars, in Portugal, in two different moments (2012 and 2014) – and of a longitudinal data analysis based on non-parametric statistical tests. Results show that the majority of companies conduct preparations before starting to implement an ISO 9001 QMS. However, most companies do not assess their initial situation, nor do they plan for the preparations. One of the significant implications from this research is that a more coherent and integrated approach in ISO 9001 preparation is required. Other implications for practice and for research are also noted. This is the first study, as far as the authors are aware of, that addresses the topic of planning for the preparations that a company can make before starting to implement an ISO 9001 QMS.

2020-01Journal article

Open Access

Avaliação da qualidade dos serviços bancários online: proposta de integração dos modelos SERVQUAL, Kano e QFD

Publication . Santos, Ariana Heleno Marques; Cândido, Carlos

Este artigo centra-se no desenvolvimento teórico de um modelo integrado para a avaliação e a melhoria da qualidade dos serviços de Internet Banking (IB). Após uma revisão da literatura e uma análise crítica dos estudos já elaborados sobre o uso integrado dos modelos de Kano, SERVQUAL e Quality Function Deployment (QFD), propõe-se um modelo integrado significativamente distinto daquele que tem vindo a ser utilizado na literatura. O modelo que se apresenta visa superar as desvantagens inerentes ao modelo integrador existente, contribuindo para um melhor entendimento da “voz do cliente” e para uma melhoria da qualidade dos serviços de IB. O artigo propõe também um conjunto de proposições para investigação empírica futura. Abstract This article focuses on the theoretical development of an integrated model for the assessment and improvement of the quality of Internet Banking (IB) services. Based on a literature review and critical analysis of the studies on the integrated use of the Kano model, the SERVQUAL and the Quality Function Deployment (QFD), this paper suggests an integrated model that is significantly distinct from those in the extant literature. The suggested model aims to surpass inherent disadvantages of the models in the literature, to contribute to a better understanding of the “voice of the customer” and to improve the quality of the IB services. This paper also develops several propositions for future empirical investigation.

2016Journal article

Open Access

Implementation obstacles and strategy implementation failure

Publication . Candido, Carlos; Santos, Sérgio

Purpose – The paper addresses the following question: How do strategy implementation obstacles relate to each other and affect strategy implementation? Method – The research methodology is qualitative and based on an extensive review of the literature and on an in-depth case study analysis. Findings – This paper draws two main conclusions. The first is that the many obstacles that impact the strategy implementation process can interact and be strongly interrelated in dynamic and complex manners. The second is that obstacles can lead to and reinforce other obstacles, eventually forming long chains of blockages. Originality – Strategy implementation remains a difficult task with improbable success. This paper provides a contribution to an explanation on why so many strategy implementation efforts fail. It is one of the very few papers addressing the issue of the relationships between strategy implementation obstacles.

2019Journal article

Open Access

The financial impact of a withdrawn ISO 9001 certificate

Publication . Cândido, Carlos; Coelho, Luís; Peixinho, Rúben

The purpose of this paper is to assess to what extent the loss of the ISO 9001 certification affects the decertified firms’ financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – Using standard event-study methods, this paper matches a sample of 143 Portuguese companies that lost their ISO 9001 certification with similar non-event counterpart firms (according to return-on-assets and size) and compares the performance of these two groups of firms using financial data collected from the AMADEUS database. Findings – Results show no statistical significant differences in the financial performance (as measured by return-on-assets, return-on-sales, and sales growth) between companies that lost their ISO 9001 certification and their matched firms. Although the literature suggests that certification improves firms’ performance and that the benefits of certification may last over long periods of time, this paper’s results suggest that, after decertification, companies do not exhibit over or underperformance in their operations vis-à-vis comparable firms that do not undergo the same event. Originality/value – As far as the authors are aware, this is the first study assessing the impact of ISO 9001 certificate withdrawal on the decertified firms’ financial performance.

2016Journal article

Open Access