Does ISO 9000 certification affect the dimensions of quality used for competitive advantage?

Garvin's [Garvin, D.A. (1987) Competing on the eight dimensions of quality. Harvard Business Review 65(6), 101-109] eight dimensions of quality have become a widely accepted taxonomy for discussions of product quality. These dimensions were used as the basis for evaluating the impacts of ISO 9000 certification on companies' product quality. Eleven ISO 9000 certified companies in Europe were studied to determine if and how ISO 9000 certification impacted the dimensions of quality relevant to their success. Results indicated that, for the companies studied, quality does improve as a result of ISO 9000 certification. Furthermore, results suggested that the reasons for seeking certification can influence the degree to which quality is improved.