Human resource aspects of ISO 9000 in Belgian organizations

Abstract

This article deals with the role and importance of human resource management aspects in ISO 9000 certified organizations in Belgium. It describes the results of a written survey among all ISO 9000 certified organizations in Belgium. The objectives of this preliminary survey were to identify the type of companies that have an ISO 9000 certificate in Belgium, and to better define the relationship between human resource management and quality management. The response rate to our survey was high (42 per cent), and we have been able to draw some interesting conclusions from the survey results. The main questions we try to answer in this article are the following:‘Is the human resource department in the organization involved in the implementation of ISO 9000 and quality management? And, if so, has the involvement of human resource practitioners made implementation of ISO 9000 norms easier and more successful?’Or, and that is the underlying question in our research, is the implementation of ISO 9000 and related quality assurance systems left to specialized engineers and quality managers in the organization?