An empirical study of the motives and benefits of ISO 9000 certification: the UAE experience

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to analyze the different aspects of the motives and benefits of certified ISO 9001: 2000 companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach – A total of 900 certified UAE companies were surveyed in April 2004 in UAE. The response rate was equal to 23.2 percent. Findings – The paper finds that certified companies were more concerned by internal reasons like improving processes or products than by external reasons like pressure from customers or imitation of competitors. In addition, the certification process had generated more internal benefits than external ones. Research limitations/implications – These findings may indicate that the surveyed firms will sustain their quality efforts as continuous improvement is one of the cornerstones of ISO 9001: 2000 standard. In April 2004, when this survey was conducted, the number of certified companies listed in Dubai or in Abu Dhabi Stock Exchanges was still small. This limited the analysis of the certification's financial benefits. Originality/value – This is one of the first papers trying to analyze the motives and benefits of ISO 9001: 2000 certified companies in the UAE. The selection of the motives and benefits were validated through statistical analysis and the relationship between expected and perceived benefits was discussed.