Exploring customers’ perceptions about Quality Management Systems: an empirical study in Italy

Abstract

Quality Management Systems (QMS) include the organisational structure, activities, programmes and actions designed to ensure that a product, process or service conforms to the objectives and the purposes for which it is to be used. Therefore, it is clear that quality systems involve all stages, starting from the initial identification of the needs and expectations of customers to their satisfaction. The aim of this research is to explore the knowledge and perceptions of customers about companies’ QMS related to business process management, environment, health and safety at work, social responsibilities/ethics. These themes are connected to International and European standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, SA 8000, which certify the presence in the company of attention given to these issues. The survey wants to investigate if Italian customers pay attention to these aspects, if they know these standards and if their presence increases customer satisfaction about the quality of the organisation and the product or service that it produces or supplies. The research was carried out through a questionnaire proposed to a heterogeneous sample of Italian consumers; data have been collected from 15 September to 15 December 2015, and they have been analysed using SPSS 23.0.

Keywords:

• Quality Management Systems
• standards
• customer satisfaction
• correspondence analysis
• ISO

ORCID

Federica Murmura http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8443-8680