The sustainability of ISO 9001 in a legal service organisation

This paper examines the sustainability and the changes experienced by a legal service organisation in the implementation of ISO 9001 in terms of reasons, benefits, and key success factors over an 8-year time interval. This exploratory study employs qualitative methods using a single case study approach. Data were collected through two phases of interviews, 1996 and 2004, with the same quality manager in the legal service organisation. Both interviews were based on a similar set of structured questions derived from the previous studies. Pattern matching was used to analyse and compare the 1996 and the 2004 findings. Three major findings are identified in this study. First, the internal reasons for implementing ISO 9001 are sustained, whereas the external reasons are diminished. Second, the benefits are mainly internal rather than external, and these are sustainable over time. Third, top management commitment and staff involvement are shown to be the critical factors of both the implementation and the maintenance of ISO 9001. The results contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of ISO 9001 as well as the level of commitment required to sustain these benefits. The results also show the learning process taken up by firms in better understanding the value of ISO 9001 implementation over time.