Beyond ISO: A Configurational Model of Quality Culture for Emerging Markets

Abstract

Introduction:
In emerging markets, ISO standards do not always capture the cultural complexities of organizations. This study proposes an alternative view of quality culture as an institutional configuration that structures organizational behavior beyond compliance frameworks.
Objective:
To analyze how configurational forms of quality culture influence quality management and, through it, organizational performance, moving beyond traditional normative approaches.
Methods:
A theoretical model grounded in institutional theory and systems thinking was developed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to data collected from 2,500 employees across 16 manufacturing firms in a Latin American emerging market.
Results:
Findings show that quality culture has a significant impact on organizational performance, both directly and indirectly through quality management, validating its configurational role beyond ISO logic.
Conclusions:
The study contributes to organizational theory by framing quality culture as a systemic, symbolic, and operational logic that structures performance, particularly in institutionally diverse contexts like emerging markets.