Middle Management’s Influence on the Effectiveness of ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems in Architectural Firms

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Middle Management's Influence onthe Effectiveness of ISO 9000 QualityManagement Systems in Architectural FirmsLow Sui Pheng a & Chia Wee Hou aa Department of Building , School of Design and Environment, NationalUniversity of Singapore , 4 Architecture Drive, Singapore , 117566 Phone:+65-65163425 Fax: +65-65163425 E-mail:Published online: 06 Jun 2011.

To cite this article: Low Sui Pheng & Chia Wee Hou (2008) Middle Management's Influence on theEffectiveness of ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems in Architectural Firms, Architectural Engineering andDesign Management, 4:3-4, 189-205

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ARTICLE

Middle Management’s Influence on theEffectiveness of ISO 9000 QualityManagement Systems in ArchitecturalFirmsLow Sui Pheng and Chia Wee Hou

189

ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN MANAGEMENT ■ 2008 ■ VOLUME 4 ■ PAGES 189–205

■ Keywords – ISO 9000; middle management; architecturalfirms; commitment; motivation

INTRODUCTION The history of construction quality programmes inSingapore can be traced back to the late 1980s. Thethen Construction Industry Development Board(CIDB) initiated the Construction Quality AssessmentSystem (CONQUAS), an objective sampling systemfor measuring the workmanship standards ofbuildings in 1989 in response to an increasinglyimportant issue of poor construction quality.Recognizing that technical specifications may notguarantee that quality requirements will beconsistently met, the current Building andConstruction Authority (BCA) launched the ISO 9000certification scheme in 1991 to ensure qualitystandards are built into the operations to achieve

consistency in the end product (Ofori and Gu, 2001).Since 1 July 1999, the certification scheme wasfurther developed to require top contractors in theBCA’s Registry of Public Sector Contractors andconsulting firms in the fields of architectural,engineering and quantity surveying services that wishto tender for public construction projects valued atmore than S$30 million, to be ISO 9000 certified(Note: at the time of writing, US$1 was approximatelyS$1.50.) Some of the benefits of ISO 9000certification cited by BCA included enhancedefficiency for the organization, creating a continualand systematic improvement environment, increaseof client’s confidence and higher staff morale (BCA,2003). All these explain the need for ISO 9000certification in the Singapore construction industry.The current ISO 9000:2000 standard is made up ofeight quality management principles, namely:

Abstract The ISO 9000 series of quality management standards is into its third revision with the introduction of the ISO9000:2000 version. Since its launch in 1987, much research has been done on top management’s influenceon the effectiveness of ISO 9000. However, the influence of middle management or supervisory staff on theeffectiveness of ISO 9000 has been neglected. This research aims to study the relationship between middlemanagement staff’s commitment and attitude towards ISO 9000, and its effect on the successfulimplementation and maintenance of ISO 9000 quality management systems (QMSs) in organizations. Basedon a survey of middle management staff in architectural firms, the study concludes that a high level ofcommitment from middle management staff can affect the success of ISO 9000 QMSs. Middle managementstaff with a more positive attitude towards ISO 9000 tend to produce more effective ISO 9000 QMSs and viceversa. These attitudes and the measures that can be taken to achieve better results are identified in thestudy.

doi:10.3763/aedm.2007.0069 © 2008 Earthscan ISSN: 1745-2007 (print), 1752-7589 (online) www.earthscanjournals.com

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● customer focus● leadership● involvement of people● process approach● system approach to management● continual improvement● factual approach to decision making ● mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

Essentially, each principle requires substantialinvolvement of staff from the middle management orsupervisory level. However, the level of commitmentof staff from this level in an organization was oftenneglected. The resistance of middle managementstaff and workers can lead to problems in theimplementation of ISO 9000 quality managementsystems (QMSs) (Quazi and Padibjo, 1998).Consequently, there is a need to ensure that middlemanagement staff are committed to ISO 9000 QMSs.Architectural firms are responsible for conveying theclient’s requirements in the form of drawings andspecifications to the contractor. Architectural firmsare very much service-oriented organizations. Hence,it is important to provide high-quality services to theirclients and these can be achieved by having asuccessful ISO 9001:2000 QMS in their organization.Bubshait et al (1999) and Farooq (1997) observed thatarchitectural firms have the task of:

● collecting all the information needed for meetingthe client’s requirements

● understanding the information and processing itcorrectly into the form of drawings andspecifications, and

● ensuring that the client’s requirements throughthe drawings and specifications are wellunderstood and implemented by the contractor.

Bubshait et al (1999) further identified 15 qualitysections that have an influence on the quality ofservices provided by design organizations in SaudiArabia:

● organizational quality policy● designer qualifications● employee training and education● design planning

● design inputs● design process● interface control● design review● design changes● subcontractor control● document control● design maintainability● computer usage● working relationship ● performance quality audit.

The 15 quality sections were also identified tocorrelate with the previous ISO 9000:1994 versionand the Malcolm Baldrige standards. (The MalcolmBaldrige National Quality Award is given by the UnitedStates National Institute of Standards and Technologyto promote quality awareness, recognize qualityachievements of companies and publicize successfulquality strategies.) As a result, these 15 qualitysections can, to a certain extent, be used to gaugethe success of ISO 9000 practices in an architecturalfirm. The present study aims to understand howmiddle management staff’s commitment can affectthe successful implementation and maintenance ofISO 9000 certification in an architectural firm. Theobjectives of the research are as follows:

● To examine middle management staff’sunderstanding of and receptiveness to ISO 9000in architectural firms.

● To examine if the commitment of middlemanagement staff towards ISO 9000 has animpact on the QMSs in architectural firms.

● To make recommendations for measures toincrease the commitment of middle managementstaff to ISO 9000 in architectural firms.

ISO 9000:2000 GUIDELINES The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)launched its ISO 9000:2000 series of qualitymanagement standards on 15 December 2000 and thestandards were adopted as Singapore standards on 16December 2000 by the Singapore Productivity andStandards Board. The current ISO 9000:2000 series isinto its third revision. Since its launch in 1987 andsubsequent revision in 1994, the ISO 9000 series has


190 S. P. LOW AND W. H. CHIA

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received worldwide recognition. The ISO rules demandthat its standards be reviewed and updated periodicallyin order to keep up with technology and marketdemands. At that point in time, existing ISO 9000certified firms in Singapore were required to convert tothe new standards within three years after 16December 2000. The previous ISO 9000 versions havebeen criticized for being too focused on documentedprocedures and not enough on results. It was criticizedfor encouraging bureaucratic management styles thatresulted in consistency rather than quality (PSB, 2000).The current 2000 version was a major update from theprevious versions. Changes include increasedcustomer focus and more emphasis on continualimprovement. The current 2000 standards were alsodrafted to be more generic in nature for easier usageby service-sector organizations. The current standardsconsist of the following three documents:

● ISO 9000:2000 – Quality Management Systems:Fundamentals and Vocabulary

● ISO 9001:2000 – Quality Management Systems:Requirements

● ISO 9004:2000 – Quality Management Systems:Guidelines for Performance Improvements

The ISO 9001:2000 standard specifies requirementsfor a QMS that can be used either for internalapplication by organizations, for certification or forcontractual purposes. The ISO 9004:2000 standard isused for guidance for the continual improvement ofan organization’s overall performance and efficiency.It is meant for organizations that wish to movebeyond the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. ISO9004:2000 is not intended for certification or forcontractual purposes.

The ISO 9000:2000 series was drafted based oneight quality management principles (ISO, 2003).These eight principles are discussed briefly below.

PRINCIPLE 1: CUSTOMER FOCUS Customers are vital to an organization. Organizationsdepend on their customers and therefore shouldunderstand and anticipate customers’ needs in order toachieve customer satisfaction. ISO 9000:2000 requiresthe identification of customers’ needs; determination

of customers’ expectations; communication withcustomers on their needs and the monitoring ofinformation on customer satisfaction. A well-managedcustomer focus could lead to benefits such as:

● increased revenue and market share ● increased effectiveness in the use of the

organization’s resources to enhance customersatisfaction

● improved customer loyalty leading to repeatbusiness.

Terziovski et al (2003) reported that the individualelement found to contribute most to businessperformance was customer focus. Others suggestedthat many organizations implemented ISO 9000 dueto customer pressure (Kantner, 2000).

PRINCIPLE 2: LEADERSHIP Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction ofthe organization. They create and maintain theinternal environment in which people can becomefully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives.Leadership exists in all levels of an organization.However, leadership is most emphasized in topmanagement. ISO 9000:2000 requires that topmanagement demonstrate its commitment. Topmanagement must be the architect and the driver ofall quality management and planning activities(Taormina, 2002). Top management should lead byexample. Demonstrating the principles of leadershiptypically leads to:

● the needs of all interested parties beingconsidered

● leaders or top management establishing a clearvision of the goals and targets of theorganization’s future

● the creation of fair and ethical role models at alllevels of the organization

● establishment of trust at all levels● staff being provided with the required resources,

training and freedom to act with responsibilityand accountability

● the encouragement and recognition of people’scontributions to the organization.


Middle Management’s Influence on the Effectiveness of ISO 9000 Quality Management 191

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Application of the leadership principle will lead to thecreation of an organization where:

● people will understand and be motivated towardsthe organization’s goals and objectives

● activities are evaluated, aligned and implementedin a unified way

● miscommunications between levels of anorganization are minimized (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 3: INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE People at all levels are the essence of an organizationand their full involvement enables their ability to beused for the organization’s benefit. Involvement isachieved when people:

● understand the importance of their contributionand role in the organization

● acknowledge shortcomings in their performanceand try to solve them

● evaluate their own performance against theirpersonal goals and objective

● actively seek opportunities to enhance theircompetence, knowledge and experience; and

● freely share knowledge and experience anddiscuss problems and issues (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

Application of the ‘involvement of people’ principlewill lead to the creation of an organization where:

● people are motivated and committed● there will be innovation and creativity in furthering

the organization’s objectives ● people hold themselves accountable for their

own performance● people are eager to participate in and contribute

to continual improvement (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 4: PROCESS APPROACH A desired result is achieved more efficiently whenactivities and related resources are managed as aprocess. ‘Process’ under ISO refers to a set ofinterrelated and interacting activities that transforminputs into outputs. First, organizations have toidentify and manage numerous linked activities. Anactivity using resources, managed in order totransform inputs into outputs, can be considered as

a process. The systematic identification andmanagement of the processes employed within anorganization and particularly the interactions betweensuch processes are referred to as the ‘processapproach’. The ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ (PDCA) cyclewidely popularized by W. Edwards Deming (ISO,2000a) was strongly encouraged by ISO to be appliedto all processes. The PDCA concept can be applied toall levels in an organization to maintain and continuallyimprove process capability. Top management can alsouse it for QMS planning or management reviews,while middle management or supervisory levels canuse PDCA for simple operational activities in productrealization processes. The application of the processapproach will lead to:

● more effective use of resources and resulting inlower cost and shorter cycle time

● improved, consistent and predictable results ● focused and prioritized improvement

opportunities (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 5: SYSTEM APPROACH TOMANAGEMENT Identifying, understanding and managing interrelatedprocesses as a system helps to contribute to theorganization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achievingits objective. The QMS consists of a number ofinterrelated processes. Outputs from one processform the inputs of subsequent processes. Processescan occur in parallel as well. Application of a systemsapproach to management will lead to:

● integration and alignment of processes that willbest achieve the desired results

● an ability to focus effort on the key processes● giving confidence to interested parties with

regard to the consistency, effectiveness andefficiency of the organization (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 6: CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT Continual improvement of the organization’sperformance should be a permanent objective of theorganization. People with QMS responsibilitiesshould be competent in terms of education, training,skills and experience. The requirements of continualimprovement include:



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● adopting a consistent organization-wide approachto continual improvement of its performance

● providing people with training in the methods andtools of continual improvement

● making continual improvement of products,processes and systems an objective for everyindividual in the organization along with theestablishment of goals to guide, measure andtrack continual improvement

● recognizing and acknowledging improvements.

Application of continual improvements to managementwill lead to:

● performance advantage through improvedorganizational capabilities

● alignment of improvement activities at all levelsto an organization’s strategic intent

● flexibility to react quickly to opportunities (ISO,2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 7: FACTUAL APPROACH TODECISION MAKING Effective decisions are based on the analysis of dataand information. ISO emphasizes communication andfeedback from customers on customer satisfaction.These data should be sufficiently accurate, reliableand made available to those who need it. Data areanalysed in order to arrive at decisions and theappropriate follow-up actions. The effective use ofdata to make decisions will lead to:

● an increased ability to demonstrate theeffectiveness of past decisions through referenceto factual records

● an increased ability to review, challenge andchange opinions and decisions (ISO, 2000a, b, c).

PRINCIPLE 8: MUTUALLY BENEFICIALSUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS An organization and its suppliers are interdependentand a mutually beneficial relationship enhances theability of both to create value. Parties working welltogether could lead to benefits such as:

● increased ability to create value for both parties● flexibility and speed of joint responses to

changing market or customer needs andexpectations

● optimization of costs and resources (ISO, 2003).

BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFULIMPLEMENTATION The four most significant barriers to effective ISO 9000quality system implementation observed by Johnson(2000) and Low and Chan (1997) were the lack of topmanagement commitment, failure to involve everyonein the process, failure to monitor progress and toenforce deadlines, and employee resistance tochange. The fragmented nature of constructionprojects can create barriers in communication amongthe parties involved and coordination is the key factorthat determines the success of QMS implementation(Moatazed-Keivani et al, 1999). Some other concernsthat hinder implementation include: difficulties inunderstanding the concepts in ISO 9000 (Landin,2000); ISO standards perceived to be too bureaucraticand involving too much paperwork, which increasedcosts and stifled innovation (Moatazed-Keivani et al,1999); and Ofori and Gu (2001) found that using a QMSactually led to an increase in the amount of buildingmaterials used by the company in its pursuit of higherquality levels. The concept behind the current ISO9000:2000 standard is to align the practice of QMS asclosely as possible with the day-to-day running of theorganization. It also attempts to address the problemsof past revisions. Table 1 summarizes the barriers toimplementing ISO 9000 and the quality managementprinciples used to overcome these barriers. Thebarriers identified by Johnson (2000), Low and Chan(1997), Moatazed-Keivani et al (1999) and Landin (2000)are shown in the left column of Table 1. Alongsidethese barriers, the quality management principles thatmay be used to overcome these barriers are annotatedin the right column.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MIDDLEMANAGEMENT STAFF A pat on the back from the boss for a job well done issometimes more valued by the employees thanmoney. Although money is important, employeesnowadays want their contributions to be recognized.If the boss chooses to ignore aspects such asrecognition, the employee will not be committed as



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well (Vijiyasingam and Lim, 2002). Pilcher (1992)observed that Maslow’s (1943) two lower needs(physiological, safety or security) from the hierarchyof needs can be satisfied by financial compensationsuch as good salaries, benefits like pensions andsome protection from dismissal. The three higherneeds (social, esteem, self actualization) are usuallysatisfied by job attributes such as independence ofaction, increased responsibility, recognition andpublic endorsement of success, a challenging job andfreedom in decision-making.

Kanter (1989) believed that achievement andrecognition are the most powerful motivators.Antonioni (1999), in a study conducted with more than1000 mid-level managers, reported that feelingrespected was the most important motivator. Thiswas followed by mutual trust with the immediatemanager. Other important motivators were related toa caring environment. Kondo (1991) observed that a

motivation procedure that suits one individual cannotalways be expected to give the same results withanother. Different individuals with different values andpersonalities will value certain rewards differently.Kanter (1979) suggested that supervisors havenegative attitudes. They affect morale and informationflow in the workplace. They tend to try to buildthemselves up by always complaining about topmanagement and at the same time obstructing theirsubordinates from getting any information directlyfrom top management. Top management commonlypoints to middle management supervisors as a sourceof resistance to employee involvement (Verespej,1990). On the other hand, Fenton-O’Creevy (2001)found supervisors’ attitudes to be no more negativethan those of senior managers with regard toemployee involvement. It was explained that middlemanagement supervisors could be made scapegoatswhen employee involvement initiatives failed.



TABLE 1 ISO 9000 barriers and QM principles used to overcome these barriersBarriers to implementing ISO 9000 Quality management principles used to overcome the barriers.

Lack of management commitment Leadership – Top management must be the architect and the driver of all quality

(Johnson, 2000) management and planning activities (Taormina, 2002). Top management should

lead by example.

Failure to involve everyone in the process Involvement of People – Ownership and empowerment are keys to effective

(Johnson, 2000) implementation. To make employees feel like owners of their activities, make

them responsible for developing and documenting their procedures (Johnson,

2000).

Employee resistance to change Involvement of People – Encourage participation. Giving employees a say in

(Low and Chan, 1997) designing for changes may give them a sense of power and control over their

own destinies which may subsequently help win their support during

implementation (Low and Chan, 1997).

Difficulty in overcoming the communications Involvement of People – People freely sharing knowledge, experience and

barriers (Moatazed-Keivani, et al. 1999) discussing problems and issues among all levels.

Too bureaucratic and the stifling of innovation Involvement of People – Creating conditions to encourage innovation.

(Moatazed-Keivani, et al. 1999)

High cost of implementation, extra effort in Process Approach – Process approach enables more effective use of resources

documentation and increased paper work and thus results in lower cost and shorter cycle time. Increased cost of

(Moatazed-Keivani, et al. 1999) implementing a QMS would be offset by cost saving by doing it right the first

time.

Difficulty in understanding the QMS (Landin, 2000) Continual Improvement – People with quality management system

responsibilities should be competent in terms of education, training, skills and

experience. Providing people with QMS training.

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It is often natural for employees to showresistance when there is an organizational change.Low and Chan (1997) suggested the following stepsto break this resistance:

● secure top management support● encourage participation● foster open communication● reward contributors.

Employee involvement practices can createcommitment to an organization as mentioned earlier.However, negative attitudes to employee involvementdo exist among some staffs at all levels. These seemto be related more to a lack of experience in handlingemployee involvement practices (Fenton-O’Creevy,2001). Sometimes a supervisor may be assigned atask. Lack of experience on how to do the job can leadto frustration and eventually non-commitment.Employees will be motivated if they receive therewards that they value and desire. Individuals join anorganization with certain expectations such as goodpay and a chance for promotion. If their expectationsare not met, employees may either signal theirexpectations to top management, or becomealienated thus affecting their job performance or evenquit the job (Montana and Charnov, 2000).

The commitment of middle management staff ina firm may be undermined by organizational changes,including changes caused by the implementation ofISO 9000 within the organization. Organizationalchanges are essential to transform companies intostronger competitors. Changes should be properlymanaged in order to ensure employee commitment.However, employees may be resistant to changesand not be committed to carrying out the instructionsfor new changes, thus resulting in failure of newinitiatives. Kotter (1996) introduced eight processesfor creating and managing a major change as follows:

● establishing a sense of urgency ● creating the guiding coalition ● developing a vision and strategy● communicating the change vision ● empowering broad-based action● generating short-term wins

● consolidating gains and producing more change● anchoring new approaches in the culture.

A TYPICAL ARCHITECTURAL FIRM An architectural firm provides consultancy services forvarious construction and interior decoration projects.An architectural firm is typically run by seniorarchitects whose interests in the consultancy arevested both in ensuring that there is business viabilityas well as in crystallizing their design concepts intoreality. A typical architectural firm which is reasonablylarge by Singapore’s standard would consist of thefollowing personnel (Surendranath, 2008):

● Chief architect – Also known in some firms as theprincipal architect, s/he is responsible for thepreparation of proposals and tendering for the joband is assisted by a team of junior architects.S/he is also responsible for conceptualizing anoverview of the general design, as well asattending meetings with clients during the initialstages of a project. Thereafter, the tasks wouldbe delegated to subordinates.

● Project architect – S/he is in direct contact withthe chief architect and the project coordinator.His/her responsibility is to understand the designideas of the chief architect and to translate theseconcepts into working drawings. Together withthe project coordinator, s/he is also responsiblefor comparing the various consultants’ drawingsto ensure integration for conformity. The projectarchitect also manages a team of junior architectsand draughtsmen.

● Project coordinator – S/he is responsible forcoordinating the entire project, both within andoutside the design office. S/he has an overview ofsite works as well as the development of thedrawings. His/her main task is to ensure that thedesign and construction are progressing inaccordance with the intention and ideas of thearchitects.

● Project consultant – S/he is normally a very seniorarchitect and may be appointed from outside thefirm or may be appointed from within by virtue ofhis/her seniority and experience. His/herresponsibilities include garnering an



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understanding of the design intents of thearchitects to provide a feasible design solution.The project consultant works closely with theproject architect and project coordinator.

● Junior architects and draughtsmen – The juniorarchitects and draughtsmen are responsible forthe actual preparation of the detailed drawingsfollowing the project architect’s instructions. Theirwork would be checked by the project architectand the project coordinator.

Apart from the designations of project coordinatorand draughtsmen, the designations of middlemanagement in architectural firms could includetechnical officer and architectural assistant. Inaddition, there are also personnel employed in humanresources, accounting and administrating in theirrespective functional roles. There would also beoffice helpers and peons and dispatch riders inarchitectural firms who assist with the generalmaintenance and running of the office premises androutine operations. Architectural firms are generallyexpected to take quality management seriously in linewith the ISO 9000 QMS requirements. A study ofquality management in South African architecturalpractices by Munting and Cruywagen (2008) suggeststhat architects have a poor grasp of qualitymanagement theory although many of the eight mainprinciples required for implementation are alreadyintrinsically present in the way they manage theirpractices. A systematic and documented approach toquality management is largely lacking in thearchitectural profession and a great deal of negativityexists with respect to ISO 9000 certification (Muntingand Cruywagen, 2008). While it is acknowledged thatISO 9000 QMS helps to enhance architecturalpractices in linking design and construction withbuildability (Low and Abeyegoonasekera, 2001), itappears that existing studies relating to ISO 9000implementation in architectural practices are largelyconfined to management and professional staff (Lowand Tan, 1996; Bubshait et al, 1999). Although animportant one, the role played by middlemanagement staff towards successful ISO 9000implementation within architectural practices has notbeen examined thus far and would therefore need tobe addressed urgently.

Based on the literature review above, this studywill now examine the relationship between middlemanagement’s commitment and attitude towards ISO9000 and the effect on the successful implementationand maintenance of ISO 9000 in architectural firms.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research consisted of a questionnaire surveyconducted among architectural firms in Singapore.The questionnaire was designed to observe theunderstanding of and receptiveness towards ISO9000 QMS among middle management staff. Thesampling frame was based on the list of architecturalfirms in the Public Sector Panel of Consultants (PSPC)maintained by the government in Singapore throughthe BCA. The PSPC is to facilitate the government inappointing consultants to undertake building works.There are four categories of architectural firms in thePSPC. These are graded according to the value ofbuilding projects they can undertake:

● AR01 category – for projects above $30m and notexceeding $65m



● AR04 category – for projects not exceeding $3m.

Architectural firms within the larger AR01 and AR02categories are expected to have ISO 9000certification as part of their quality managementprocesses. There are 39 and 20 architectural firms inthe AR01 and AR02 categories, respectively.Together these make a total of 59 architectural firmswhich form the sampling frame for the questionnairesurvey. The target respondents were supervisorystaff such as senior technical officers, seniordraughtsmen, architectural assistants, projectcoordinators and senior project coordinators in theAR01 and AR02 categories of architectural firms. Thesampling method used was the ‘snowball sampling’method through e-mailing the questionnaire tocontacts in these firms and requesting them and theircolleagues who are supervisors to answer thequestionnaire. This exercise was conducted followingthe successful conclusion of a pilot survey.



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The questionnaire consists of four parts. The keyareas of study are the understanding of ISO 9000,attitudes towards ISO 9000, implementation andmaintenance of ISO 9000, and motivational factors toaid in the implementation and maintenance of ISO9000 in the organization. Of the 37 questionnairesreturned via hardcopy collection and e-mail, only 32were used for the analysis because fivequestionnaires were either incomplete or were notcompleted by the appropriate persons specified.Following the details provided by Arain and Low(2005, 2006) concerning the minimum sample sizethat is appropriate for statistical analysis, a samplesize of more than 30 respondents is therefore, in thiscase, a good representation of the population.

SURVEY FINDINGS The survey findings are reported under the followingsubheadings.

RESPONDENTS’ PROFILE The 32 respondents included five senior technicalofficers (16%), three senior draughtsmen (9%), fivearchitectural assistants (16%), ten project coordinators(31%) and nine senior project coordinators (28%) fromdifferent companies. Their years of experience in theirrespective companies ranged from 1 year to 15 years.

UNDERSTANDING ISO 9000 All the respondents indicated that their companieshad obtained ISO 9001:2000 certifications becauseDecember 2003 was the deadline for companies inSingapore to transit from the 1994 version to the 2000version of the ISO 9000 standard. Hence, most if notall companies would have already conformed to the2000 requirements at the time of this present study.Although all the companies surveyed were certified,some respondents (21.9%) were still not aware of theISO 9001:2000 standard. Likewise, they were notaware of the differences between the current 2000version and the previous 1994 version. 16 (50%)respondents claimed that they had not undergoneany training or attended seminars on ISO 9000. Thiscould be because they were supervisory-level staffand not top management-level staff since the priorityfor training in ISO 9000 was predominately for seniormanagement level staff. Furthermore, the respondents

who did not attend any ISO 9000 training may nothave been the internal auditors of the company and,hence, they did not get the chance to attend anytraining at all. Out of the other 16 respondents whoattended training or seminars on ISO 9000, 75%opined that the training or seminars they attended hadhelped them to perform their ISO 9000 dutieseffectively. This shows that training made a differencein their ISO 9000 performance and was important tothe company.

The respondents were asked to indicate theirawareness of the eight principles of ISO 9000. 14(43.8%) respondents reported that they were awareof these principles. This figure was similar to thenumber who attended the ISO 9000 training. Thismay mean that most respondents were aware of theeight principles only after attending ISO 9000 trainingor seminars. Out of the 14 respondents who wereaware of the eight principles of ISO 9000, mostrespondents indicated that they ‘understood’ theseprinciples. The other respondents indicated that they‘slightly understood’ these principles. The reason forthis latter response could be that the training theyreceived was insufficient for them to grasp a fullunderstanding of the eight principles, objectives andfunctions, and contents of ISO 9000. Another reasoncould be that when these middle management staffwent for ISO 9000 training, there may not have beena requirement for them to take any test to assesstheir level of understanding.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISO 9000 QUALITYSYSTEMS One section of the questionnaire surveyed the middlemanagement staff’s attitude and commitmenttowards ISO 9000. The respondents were asked toindicate their agreement with the benefits of ISO 9000based on a Likert scale of 1 (strongly disagreed) to 5(strongly agreed). This aimed to find out middlemanagement’s perception of the positive factorsrelating to ISO 9000. The mean results of this part ofthe questionnaire are described in Table 2. From theresults, it appears that middle management generallybelieved that the main benefits of ISO 9000 were thatit improves traceability of documents, and that it helpsdocumentation and document control. This appears tobe more in line with the 1994 version whereby there



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was more emphasis on documentation control.Middle management seems to still believe that thesewere the traditional and main benefits of ISO 9000.

The next closest benefits viewed by middlemanagement were client related. These were that ISO9000 will increase clients’ confidence and will improvethe company’s reputation. ISO 9000 certification wasincreasingly viewed as a ‘passport for business’(Yeung et al, 2003). Hence, middle managementbelieved that with ISO certification, clients’ confidenceand the company’s reputation will increase and morepeople would be willing to do business with thecompany. ISO certification for its own sake obtainedthe lowest mean score of 3. This could be becauseISO certification is becoming increasingly commonand many architectural companies in Singapore werealready ISO 9000 certified. Middle managementviewed ISO certification as an essential quality systemfor a company to stay competitive rather than being aprestigious title for the company. The ISO 9000standard was widely accepted as a minimum standardfor a quality system for companies (Marquardt, 1992).

NEGATIVE FACTORS OF ISO 9000 The respondents were asked to indicate theiragreement or disagreement with the negative factorsrelating to ISO 9000 using the same Likert scale. Themean results of this part of the questionnaire aredescribed in Table 3. Most respondents (68.8%)agreed or strongly agreed that ISO 9000 increases

paperwork and workload. The next significantnegative statement was that ISO 9000 is too focusedon documentation and procedures (65.7%). Althoughthey agreed earlier that ISO 9000 improvestraceability and document control, they appear toalso agree that to achieve these benefits, morepaperwork and workload seems to be inevitable. Asignificant proportion of the 32 respondentsdisagreed or strongly disagreed with the followingfactors:

● ‘ISO 9001:2000 QMS does not increaseorganizational performance’ (46.9%)

● ‘ISO 9001:2000 QMS concepts are difficult tounderstand’ (50%)

● ‘Supervisory level staff roles are not important inISO 9000 QMS. Only the role of top managementis important’ (53.2%).

As far as the factor: ‘ISO 9000 QMS does notincrease organizational performance’ is concerned, astudy by Singels et al (2001) found that ISO 9000certification in itself does not lead to an improvementin the performance of organizations. Only when anorganization is internally motivated in seeking animprovement of its organizational processes, willcertification result in an improvement of itsperformance. Hence, ISO 9000 will increaseorganizational performance if it is applied with thecorrect intention.



TABLE 2 Attitude towards ISO 9000 QMS NO ATTITUDE MEAN

1 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS improves traceability 4.03

2 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will help to improve documentation and document control 3.84

3 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS produces more systematic work procedures 3.81

4 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will improve my company’s reputation 3.66

5 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will continually and systematically improve the environment 3.63

7 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will improve product quality 3.59

8 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will increase client’s confidence 3.59

9 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS saves cost by doing everything right first time every time 3.56

10 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS is important to the development of a company 3.53

11 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will help to improve competitiveness 3.50

12 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS will help to increase productivity 3.46

13 I believe that ISO 9000 QMS increases staff morale, i.e. staff feel proud to be a member 3.00

of an ISO 9000-certified company

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The reason for a majority of the respondents todisagree with the factor: ‘ISO 9000 QMS conceptsare difficult to understand’ could be that theobjectives and concepts of the current 2000 versionof ISO 9000 are closer to the day-to-day practices ofan organization. Middle management found it easierto relate to principles like increased customer focus,and more emphasis on continual improvement, asthese are what they come across in their dailyoperations. As for the factor: ‘Supervisory level staffroles are not important in ISO 9000 QMS. Only therole of top management is important’, mostrespondents did not agree that their role in ISO 9000was not important. They believed that they areimportant as they are front line staff in theimplementation and maintenance of ISO 9000 andwould thus be involved in getting the job done.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE A ‘quality statement’ is a written statement of topmanagement’s belief and commitment to quality. Itcan be in the form of a slogan to be taught and madeknown to everyone in the organization. It is based ona set of principles about quality that top managementcommits to and which employees are required toadhere to. Therefore, the quality statement is veryimportant as it sets the quality direction of theorganization. In response to the survey, all (100%) therespondents reported that there was an ISO 9000quality statement in their organizations. However, not

all the respondents knew what their company ISO9000 quality statement was. 62.5% of therespondents knew about the contents of theircompany quality statement, whereas the rest (37.5%)did not seem to know. This could be because thequality statement in their organization was not activelyrepeated and promoted to them for it to register intheir minds. There were also questions in the surveythat assessed the level of quality practices inarchitectural organizations. It is important for all thequality practices to be carried out in order to have agood ISO 9000 QMS for any architectural organization.This survey also served to identify which areas weremost practised (using a Likert scale of 5) and whichareas were least practised (using a Likert scale of 1).The mean results of this part of the survey aredescribed in Table 4.

‘Project documents are properly filed anddocumented’ and ‘Overall, the company is successfulin meeting regulatory requirements’ are the qualitypractices that were most practised. These scored thehighest mean values of 4.25. Filing and documentationis important to any quality-conscious organization. Onlywith proper filing and documentation can projectdocuments such as drawings or letters be easilytraced. In addition, construction projects are bound tohave changes and revisions. Changes and revisions toproject documents issued must be filed anddocumented to minimize misunderstanding and alsoto ensure that all parties are working on the same and



TABLE 3 Negative factors of ISO 9000 QMS NO NEGATIVE FACTORS MEAN

1 ISO 9000 QMS increases paperwork and workload 3.84

2 ISO 9000 QMS is too focused on documentation and procedures 3.69

3 ISO 9000 QMS is too bureaucratic and encourages a bureaucratic management style 3.34

4 ISO 9000 QMS increases cost 3.22

5 ISO 9000 QMS increases delays 3.16

6 ISO 9000 QMS results in consistency rather than quality 3.16

7 ISO 9000 QMS stifles innovations 3.13

8 ISO 9000 QMS is a waste of time and resources 2.91

9 Middle management staff roles are not important in ISO 9000 QMS. 2.72

Only the role of top management is important

10 ISO 9000 QMS does not increase organizational performance 2.69

11 ISO 9000 QMS concepts are difficult to understand 2.56

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latest information. Proper document control isnecessary for the success of any organization andmore so for an architectural organization whose mainactivities involve a substantial amount of paperwork.Hence, it is not surprising that the responses to thefactor: ‘Project documents are properly filed anddocumented’ has a high mean score of 4.25. Similarly,the responses to the factor: ‘Overall, the company issuccessful in meeting regulatory requirements’, with amean score of 4.25, was not unexpected.

The architectural profession in Singapore isregulated significantly. Any non-compliance with

regulations could mean delays to a project, as time isneeded to rectify the non-compliance. This isespecially so if the non-compliance occurs at theTemporary Occupation Permit stage. Time isimportant to the client to move with the fast-changingmarket. Delays due to the project not meetingregulatory requirements could mean an adverseimpact on the sales of the client. As mentioned above,construction projects are bound to have changes andrevisions. Design changes affecting contractualrequirements could result in an increase in costs in theform of variations. It is therefore important that the



TABLE 4 Quality practices in architectural firms NO QUALITY PRACTICES MEAN

1 Project documents are properly filed and documented 4.25

2 Overall, the company is successful in meeting regulatory requirements 4.25

3 Design changes affecting contractual requirements are made available in writing

and client approval is obtained 4.19

4 There is constant communication with the client to ensure client’s requirements are met 4.19

5 Work performed by the contractor is regularly reviewed to ensure client’s requirements are 4.16

complied with

6 Project documents are readily available to concerned personnel 4.13

7 Project requirements are defined through discussions with the client 4.13

8 Project documents are revised/updated and reissued after changes have been made 4.09

9 Activities affected by design changes are identified and the persons and parties concerned 4.00

are duly notified

10 Final drawings, specifications and documents are checked and mistakes corrected before 4.00

they are issued

11 Regular review sessions are held with the contractor to gather feedback on constructability to 3.94

continually improve construction detailing

12 Overall, the company is successful in meeting client’s requirements 3.94

13 Quality manual is current and is updated to reflect current quality policies and procedures 3.91

14 Records of training, courses and seminars attended by employees are kept up to date 3.84

15 Design activities (e.g. preparation of drawings) are performed according to established 3.81

procedures, codes or design standards (e.g. drawings are drawn to correct CAD layers) 3.81

16 Design activities for each stage are documented and kept

17 Overall, the company is successful in meeting organizational requirements 3.81

18 There is constant review/verification of design, drawings, specifications, materials used, 3.78

aesthetics, etc.

19 Personnel performing work affecting product quality are competent and the company 3.75

keeps a record of their qualifications

20 Records of personnel’s qualifications are frequently updated 3.69

21 Feedback is gathered from the client to continually improve the level of services 3.66

22 The design process (i.e. master programme) is planned and adhered to 3.59

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client’s approval is sought. Proper documentation ofdesign changes and approval from clients will relievethe architectural firm of any liability and prevent anydispute from happening. This explains the high scorerelating to the factor: ‘Design changes affectingcontractual requirements are made available in writingand client approval is obtained’ (mean 4.19). Theresponses to the factor: ‘There is constantcommunication with the client to ensure client’srequirements are met’ also yielded a high score (mean4.19). The reason for such a high score could be thatin the construction sector, the scope of work is verywide. There is always a high possibility that certainitems could be missed or misunderstood. Constantcommunication with the client is important so as notto miss or misunderstand any items. Thiscommunication will help to minimize additionalvariation costs spent to rectify any misunderstandingof the client’s requirements. This explains why clientand consultant meetings for a typical project areusually held on a regular basis even up to the end ofthe construction stage. The responses to the factor:‘The design process (i.e. master programme) isplanned and adhered to’ have the lowest mean score(mean 3.59). The master programe is useful foridentifying the various activities needed to completethe project and their duration. It serves as a monitoringdevice and a cross check against the progress of theproject as well. The master programme is especiallyimportant to fast-track projects or projects in whichdelays cannot be afforded. The survey results seem toindicate that this quality practice needs to be enforcedmore often.

Another quality practice that needs to be enforcedmore often relates to the factor: ‘Feedback isgathered from the client to continually improve thelevel of services’ where a low score was observed(mean 3.66). Feedback obtained from the clientperiodically or at the end of the project helps thearchitectural firm to find out about the client’sgrievances or appreciation and is useful inmaintaining good relationships with clients. Feedbackobtained also aids the architectural firm in improvingits level of service. Most of the additional feedbackreceived from the respondents was related to thehuman factor in ISO 9000. The respondents wereasked what problems they faced in the course of

implementing, maintaining and improving the ISO9000 QMS in their organizations. The feedback canbasically be categorized under commitment towardsISO 9000, understanding of ISO 9000, and workloadof individuals and its impact on the QMS.

Commitment towards ISO 9000 Problems faced by the respondents include theinconsistent application of the QMS by individuals,and the lack of commitment and motivation fromemployees as most of them were not motivatedwhen it comes to ISO 9000 matters. Somesuggestions provided by the respondents to solve theproblems included having more regular internalreview meetings and internal quality audits to solvethe inconsistent application of the QMS by anindividual. Treating employees as important assetsand placing more care in staff welfare should instilmore commitment and motivation of staff towardsISO 9000. Others suggested rewards to beimplemented to motivate staff to implement andmaintain ISO 9000 efficiently.

Understanding of ISO 9000 The lack of understanding of the QMS implemented,unfamiliarity with what is required of them, lack ofexperienced staff who understand ISO requirementsdue to firms employing temporary staff, and theignorance of new staff towards the ISO 9000standard were some of the problems reported by the respondents. The solutions suggested by therespondents to resolve the lack of understandingwhen implementing the QMS included engaging staffin more dialogues and query sessions. Refreshercourses can be conducted to ensure employees arefamiliar with what is required of them. Wherepossible, firms can engage fewer temporary staff, asthey may not understand the ISO 9000 system of thecompany. Finally, to resolve the problem of ignoranceof new employees towards the standard, in-houseadaptations of external training sessions can beconducted for them.

Workload of individuals and its impact on theQMS Under this category, respondents reported heavyworkloads and therefore a lack of time to go through



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and learn about the requirements of ISO 9000, whichwas consequently left as the last priority. Thesolutions suggested by the respondents includedadequate formal training of ISO 9000 knowledge atevery level of personnel in the company, moreconsistent maintenance of the QMS and moreperiodic internal and external audits to ensure thatISO 9000 maintenance is not left until the last minute.

MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS The objective of this part of the questionnaire was tofind out which factors motivated middle managementsupervisory staff to support ISO 9000 QMS, using theLikert scale of 1 (least motivated) to 5 (mostmotivated). The results are presented in Table 5 anddiscussed below. The survey results suggest that the

factor: ‘Fair reward system based on individualperformance’ with a mean score of 4.53 was themost important motivational factor as viewed byrespondents. Middle management’s duties includeISO 9000 implementation and maintenance.However, if middle management maintains thecompany’s QMS well, senior management may takeit as part and parcel of the middle management’s job.Middle management wants a fair reward systemwhere an individual is rewarded for a job well done.The factor: ‘Realistic expectations of you frommanagement, i.e. organization goals are achievable’has the second highest mean score of 4.47. 90.7% ofthe respondents reported that realistic expectationsof them from senior management are of great or verygreat importance to them as a motivational factor.



TABLE 5 Motivational factors NO MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS MEAN

1 Fair reward system based on individual performance 4.53

2 Realistic expectations of you from management, i.e. organization goals are achievable 4.47

3 Top management should lead by example 4.44

4 Having sufficient time and resources to complete the work 4.44

5 The use of participative management techniques instead of autocratic management techniques 4.34

6 Receive rewards that you value and desire, e.g. good pay, pay rise, etc. 4.34

7 Improved work environment (physical, social and psychological environment) 4.31

8 Two-way communication between top management and middle management,

i.e. management encourages feedback and listens to feedback 4.31

9 Leadership style: management with a high concern for people 4.28

10 Superior who cares for the subordinates 4.28

11 Superior who respects the subordinates as competent workers 4.28

12 Recognition and full appreciation for a job well done 4.25

13 Strong corporate culture, i.e. people in the organization all shared common values and

work towards a common goal 4.22

14 Job satisfaction, i.e. a job that makes people feel they are doing meaningful and valuable work 4.22

15 Top management must themselves be committed to ISO 9000 QMS 4.19

16 Teamwork where people work cohesively as a team and share skills, knowledge and experience 4.19

17 Providing education and training to do the job 4.16

18 Mutual trust with immediate superior 4.09

19 Improve job characteristics to make them interesting and challenging 4.06

20 Moderate empowerment. Employees have certain decision-making authority. Decisions are made

jointly with top management 3.78

21 Less organization rules and policies that cause less frustration in the workplace 3.71

22 Full empowerment (giving power to employees to make decisions) in the form of delegation

of full decision-making authority. Top management intervention is minimal or none at all 3.28

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Unrealistic expectations such as loading them withtoo many projects, resulting in no time for ISO 9000maintenance, would discourage them from beingmotivated to maintain the QMS well. Other topmotivational factors were those mentioned in thefollowing two factors: ‘Having sufficient time andresources to complete the work’ and ‘Topmanagement should lead by example’. Middlemanagement regards having sufficient time andresources to complete the work as the next mostimportant motivational factor with a mean score of4.44. The reason could be because seniormanagement may view the ISO 9000 QMS as an‘extra-curricular activity’ rather than an importantportion of a supervisor’s work. In such a case, seniormanagement views the maintenance of the systemas less important compared with the busy workschedule that they have allocated for the supervisor.Consequently, senior management does not allocatesufficient time and resources to the supervisor toperform his ISO 9000 duties but yet still demands thatthe ISO 9000 system be properly maintained.

Top management should also lead by example tomotivate middle management staff. This factor alsohas a mean score of 4.44. Top management should notjust ‘walk the talk’; they should support their wordswith appropriate actions. The survey shows that thefactor: ‘Full empowerment (giving power to employeesto make decisions) in the form of delegation of fulldecision-making authority. Management intervention isminimal or none at all’ was the least significantmotivational factor with a mean score of 3.28. Fullempowerment was viewed as the least importantmotivational factor to middle management staffpossibly because they still want guidance from the topmanagement level and they want top management toshow care and interest in their work.

CONCLUSION The significant findings of this study are discussedbelow.

UNDERSTANDING OF ISO 9000 QMS The survey findings showed that some middlemanagement staff do not understand fully theconcept of ISO 9000, its objectives, contents andhow it can help the organization. These findings are

along the same lines as described by Munting andCruywagen (2008) in their study of architecturalpractices in South Africa. The lack of understandingcould be the explanation for their negative attitudetowards the ISO 9000 standard. Through training,supervisors will be able to increase theirunderstanding of the ISO 9000 standard and helpeliminate negative attitudes towards the standard.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISO 9000 QMS On the whole, most middle management supervisorystaff have a positive attitude towards ISO 9000. Theybelieve in the positive factors that the system candeliver. Document traceability, documentation anddocument control are perceived as the main benefitsof ISO 9000. This was followed by client-relatedbenefits such as increasing client confidence andimproving the company’s reputation. These findingsaccord well with the benefits reported earlier by Lowand Abeyegoonasekera (2001) in their study on howISO 9000 QMS can serve to enhance buildability indesign and construction.

NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISO 9000 QMS It would appear that ISO 9000 increases paperworkand workload and is too focused on documentationand procedures. These were perceived by middlemanagement supervisory staff as the top negativefactors of ISO 9000. These negative results accordwell with similar findings reported by Low and Tan(1996) concerning ISO 9000 implementation inarchitectural firms in Singapore.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE OFISO 9000 QMS As architectural firms are generally service-orientedorganizations, it is important that good quality serviceis provided to clients in the form of good qualitypractices achieved by having a successful ISO 9000QMS in the organization.

Results of the survey suggested that the mostsignificant quality practices in architectural firms arethat ‘project documents are properly filed anddocumented’ and that ‘the company is successful inmeeting regulatory requirements’. The next mostsignificant quality practices are ‘design changesaffecting contractual requirements are made available



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in writing and client approval is obtained’ and the‘presence of constant communication with the clientto ensure client’s requirements are met’. This studyindicates that quality practices such as ‘designprocess is planned and adhered to’ and ‘feedback isgathered from the client to continually improve thelevel of services’ need to be enforced more often, asobserved by Bubshait et al (1999) in an earlier studyof quality practices in design organizations.

MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS Middle management staff can be motivated towardsISO 9000 by giving them a fair reward based onindividual performance for implementing or maintainingthe QMS well. The motivational factors that can beapplied to middle management staff to motivate themtowards ISO 9000 include the following:

● have realistic expectations of them● allocate sufficient time and resources for them to

complete their work● have top management lead by example.

This study seems to show that full empowerment ofmiddle management staff does not necessarilymotivate them. Supervisory staff generally still wantguidance and care from top management, which is animportant finding not reported in earlier studies byLow and Tan (1996), Bubshait et al (1999) andMunting and Cruywagen (2008).

In conclusion, companies with middle managementstaff with a high commitment towards ISO 9000 generallyhave their ISO 9000 QMS better implemented andmaintained. In comparison, companies with middlemanagement staff with a negative attitude towards ISO9000 generally have their ISO 9000 QMS less wellimplemented and maintained. This study seems tosupport the notion that a high level of commitment frommiddle management staff is essential for the successfulimplementation and maintenance of ISO 9000 QMS.Likewise, middle management staff with a negativeattitude would have less inclination to support thesuccessful implementation and maintenance of ISO 9000QMS. This finding was not noted by Low and Tan (1996)nor Munting and Cruywagen (2008) in their earlier studies.

Although top management’s attitude andcommitment to ISO 9000 will significantly influence

the effectiveness of the standard of the organization,this study showed that a high level of commitmentfrom middle management staff will also affect thesuccess of the ISO 9000 quality system. Companiesthat have middle management staff with a morepositive attitude towards ISO 9000 would tend tohave more effective ISO 9000 quality systems.Companies that have middle management staff whoview ISO 9000 more negatively would tend to have aless effective ISO 9000 quality system. Hence, itappears that middle management staff with anegative attitude would have less inclination tosupport ISO 9000 QMS. This finding was also notnoted by Low and Tan (1996) nor Munting andCruywagen (2008) in their earlier studies.

From the study, the effectiveness of ISO 9000 QMSseems to be influenced by the middle management’smotivation to support it. Supervisors who are moreinternally motivated (i.e. supervisors’ own strong beliefsthat ISO 9000 is beneficial to the organization) tosupport ISO 9000 generally results in a more successfulISO 9000 QMS for the organization. With a successfulISO 9000 QMS in place, the organization would be onits way to better organizational performance, asreported by Low and Abeyegoonasekera (2001) in theirstudy on how ISO 9000 QMS can help to enhancebuildability in design and construction.

AUTHOR CONTACT DETAILSLLooww SSuuii PPhheenngg and CChhiiaa WWeeee HHoouu: Department of Building, School

of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore,

4 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117566. Tel: +65-65163425; fax:

+65-67755502; e-mail: [email protected]

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Documents

Middle Management’s Influence on the Effectiveness of ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems in Architectural Firms