Abstract

This research studies implementation issues related to the emergence of the latest version of the ISO 9000 quality standard, ISO 9001:2000. This version has abandoned the structure of 20 sections and now has five comprehensive sections covering all the previous requirements, with some modifications and the introduction of new requirements. The ISO 9001:2000 standard has introduced a process-based approach that considers the quality management system as a single large process consisting of many smaller processes. The thesis focuses on the implementation of ISO 9001:2000 through an empirical study on Canadian firms. Results show that, whether external or internal reasons provided the impetus for registration, Canadian companies registered under the new ISO standards generally face the same degree of difficulty in implementation. However, internally driven companies have less difficulty for certain items. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)