The legitimacy of the implementation of the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 in small and medium-sized organizations

Abstract

The main aim of the publication was an attempt to determine how representatives of small and medium organizations perceive changes in ISO 9001: 2015. In pursuit of this goal, a research process was carried out which covered 76 employees (23 management representatives and 53 middle managers) employed in 23 small and medium sized organizations operating in southeastern Poland (It was imperative that each of the organizations under test had a quality management system implemented and certified in accordance with ISO 9001). The research was conducted at the turn of January and February 2017, using a research tool such as a questionnaire, which was consisted of eight questions both open and closed. the research process has allowed the following conclusions, which may affect the decision stuff in implementation of the requirements of ISO 9001: according to a majority of the respondents, the changes introduced in ISO 9001: 2015 are not revolutionary enough to be considered as a response to the needs of small and medium-sized organizations, the respondents considered the need for defining the context of the organization as the highest rated change, changes to the standard structure and references to knowledge management were considered the least necessary changes for smaller organizations.