Integrating Strategic Management Elements and Continual Improvement Practices in the ISO 9001 Implementation as Framework for Achieving Organizational Effectiveness

In this highly competitive world where uncertainties are but normal, strategic management has emerged as one key to survival. To further sustain business, organizations employ continual improvement practices in their operations. Integration of these management systems to achieve organizational effectiveness can be possible through QMS implementation. Thus, this research study aimed to determine the integration of strategic management elements and continual improvement practices in the ISO 9001 implementation of the Department of Education’s Schools Division Offices Region IV-A as framework for achieving organizational effectiveness. The study utilized descriptive research design and stratified sampling method covering 330 respondents who belonged to higher level positions from 21 schools’ division offices in the region. Responses were tallied and analyzed using frequency distribution and weighted mean. Normality Test using Shapiro Wilk and Spearman Rho was used to test the relationship among the four variables. Further, regression was used to determine the mediating effect of the variables tested. All data were treated using statistical software known as SPSS Version 23. The findings in this research have substantially provided theoretical evidence to prove that integration of strategic management elements and continual improvement practices in the ISO 9001 implementation can achieve organizational effectiveness. It also gives a clearer understanding on the government firms on how to strategically integrate their current management system. As a matter of logic, an organization who operates management systems in a decentralized manner may not attain their much-expected organizational effectiveness that transcends to their overall performance. The key is to integrate these management systems and imbed them into the organizations’ culture, vision and mission thereby achieving organizational goals.

Keywords – Continual improvement, ISO 9001 implementation, organizational effectiveness, quality management system, strategic management