Investigating the benefits and challenges of the implementation of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in the aerospace industry.

Abstract

Aerospace companies implement certain quality management and environmental standards, e.g. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 requirements specific to the aerospace industry. The big question is whether the implementation of the ISO standards has provided its hope for returns. The aim of this research is therefore to analyze the benefits and challenges of the implementation of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in the aerospace industry. This study aims to investigate two underlying subjects – quality management and environmental management, and explore how they influence firm performance and how they are implemented in the aerospace industry. Nine participants from different aerospace companies were interviewed. The results suggest that these companies were put under pressure internally and externally by the customers for pursuing the certification. Major factors that affect the implementation include size of company, employee participation, and company commitment. It also discovered that ISO 14001 seems to mainly impact the managers and employees related to environmental work. This study found that the larger the company size, the more sensitive it becomes toward customer pressure on commitment to sustainability.