Management System Integration to Large Scale Business (Research Paper Sample)

(University)
(PASS 99 Management System Integration to large Scale Business)
(Date)
Abstract
The primary goal of this research was to investigate the cultural approach in integration of PAS 99 management systems in large business organization. In this regard the research focused large businesses organization engaged in the food industry. In this regard, the study entailed an analysis of the requirements detailed in PAS 99 that are the primary principles of integrated management systems. These include documentation, management review phases, audits, preventive and corrective actions. In this regard, a case study analysis was done for four food sector businesses that had implemented and achieved certification for two or more standardized management systems. Online pre-prepared script interviews were also conducted with the persons responsible with the operation of management systems in all the four business organizations. Formulation of the setting was pegged on the PAS 99 guideline. In this regard, the integration process of management systems within the four companies revealed the total adherence of a cultural integration management system of PAS 99.
Introduction
Background of the research
Many business organizations have evidently adopted management frameworks or specifications or standards which facilitates the management of all business elements. Examples here include ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 20000 and OHSAS 18001 (Karapetrovic and Willborn 1998). In many organizations, these management systems are operated in an independent manner. This solo operation of management systems was in disregard to the central importance and efficiency of operation within an integrated organization system. However, there are several general essentials that can be formally managed in an integrated manner that adopts a cultural approach. The cultural approach towards integration is essentially the process of one business organization adopting the products, technologies and ideas of another resulting to conformity. In this regard, the adoption here is in regard to management systems. Consequently, the primary harmony inherent in all the systems within the general organizational management system can be appreciated and applied to the best benefit. In this regard, PAS 99: 2006 was formulated to allow for the integration of common management system frameworks into a sole framework. The major function of PAS 99 is for use by organization that have two or more management system standards that they are planning to implement. PAS 99: 2006 is grounded on the principle of ‘requirement of familiar organization system necessities as a structure for integration.’ In this regard, it acknowledges that there are redundancies in multiple operations of systems due to the similarity in the requirements for certain fundamentals of management system standards. Consequently, PAS 99 offers a systematic framework that encompasses the similar requirements that enables a business to attain one general system for the primary elements for the whole management system standards.
PAS 99: 2006 has undergone several revisions since its publication in which led to PAS 99:2012. PAS 99: 2012 has evidently incorporated new changes depicted in the contemporary ISO guide. The primary benefits associated with PAS 99 include the improvement in organizational focus; conflict reduction between systems; a greater holistic mode for the management of business risks; minimal beauracracies and duplication and enhanced mode of internal and external audits.
PAS 99 is founded on ISO guide that entails the primary requirements evident in management systems standards. In this regard, the cultural integration for PAS 99 in business organizations needs to be systematically followed through in its six primary requirements. These are evidently, policy, planning, implementation and operation, performance assessment, improvement and management review.
Research Objectives and Research Questions
The primary objective of research is to understand;
-The cultural approach toward integration of PAS 99 in large organizations
-The level of integration of management systems in large organizations
-The achieved level of integration and are there any evident documentation of the integrated systems?
-The difficulties or challenges arising from the integration of systems?
The associated research questions to aid in the achievement of the objectives were as follows;
What is the number and type of formalized management systems incorporated in the Integrated Management Systems?
What are the approaches used for integration in the organizations?
Is there evidence of cultural approach toward integration in the large organizations?
What is the achieved level of integration and is there any evident documentation of the integrated systems?
5. Are there any difficulties or challenges arising from the integration of systems?
Dissertation Structure
The overall structure of the dissertation is as follows;
Chapter 1 Introduction
This section will establish what the research problem is i.e. what it is you are investigating.
This section will clearly set the scene and fully justify the area as worthy of research. The aims and objectives of the research will also be clearly stated and an outline of the work provided.
Chapter 2 Literature review
This Chapter will explore the relevant literature in the field by focusing on the models related to the research questions. This section will equally build upon existing literature and comparing and contrasting the findings of previous work. From the literature review t the key relevant points from each author will be drawn and the contribution and implications relative to the researchers work.
Chapter 3 Methodology
This Chapter will restate he aims and objectives of the research, highlight the sources of data and determine the methods to be used.
Chapter 4 Findings & Analysis
This Chapter will have two core elements: presentation of the findings, where data is presented and not discussed, and the analysis of the data.
Chapter 5 Conclusions and/or Recommendations (including overall limitations)
This Chapter will tie together the overall purpose of the research, i.e. aims and objectives, with the findings and propose to what extent the aims and objectives have been achieved. The overall approach adopted, and assumptions made, will be critically appraised.
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Literature Review
The concept the integrated management system is relatively new in relation to compliance with more than one MSS. In this regard, the concept was first conceptualized in the early 1990s after which its popularity soared following the publication of ISO 14001 as a standard for environmental management in 1996. Evidently, several business organizations had commenced with the implementation of ISO 9000 and sought to integrate the new environmental ISO 14000 standard. According to Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998), the ISO 14000 standard for environmental control already presents organization management with emergent challenges that cannot be avoided further. In 1996, BS 8800:1996 was published by BSI as a guidance standard for Health and Safety Management. Evidently, several articles have been published by numerous authors in reference to the synergistic connections between the foundational standards emanating from similar elements and more so in relation to management review, documentation, policy, audit and documentation. This equally includes the structural similarities that provide a background for their integration (Ahsen and Funck, 2001). Currently, most of the published literature reiterates on the integration of two or three of the most common management systems. These are QMS, OHSMS and EMS (Culley, 1996). Several studies in relation to theoretical and empirical studies have been conducted on several elements of integrated management systems. The literature review is centered along three major areas. These are; an understanding of integration; the levels of integration; the components for integration and the procedure; the emergent advantages of integration and inhibitors to integration.
Definition and understanding of integration
There are evident differences in regard to the interpretation and understanding of integration. According to Wilkinson and Dale (1998), the understanding of integration is viewed in different modes, this is evident from the systematic implementation in the overall organization, to the combination of at least two or more systems that exhibit similarity, and finally to the overall integration of systems within the company in which the objectives and policy of the systems are in alignment to the organization policy. According to Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998), the integration of two systems results to dependence between the two and a loss of independence in at least one or both.
According to Beckmerhagen et al. (2003), integration entails a process of merging various management systems with specific roles into a sole and increasingly efficient integrated management system. According to the CQI Integrated Management special interest group (IMSIG), integrated management system is accorded a more elaborate definition. In this regard, IMSIG defines it as a sole integrated management system that is applied by a business organization in the management of overall processes. This is an apparent measure for achieving the business objectives and mutual stakeholder satisfaction.
Levels of integration
There are several literary terms from practical and theoretical paradigms used in the description of integration levels. These include harmonization, amalgamation, combination, compatibility, merger, unification among others. There are also equally different ideologies regarding the levels of integration. Acco...