Quality assurance in small business organisations: myths and realities

The past decade witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of small businesses in the UK seeking to implement formal quality assurance systems, principally the ISO 9000/BS5750. Based on two case studies, this paper examines the motivation for, processes and outcomes of quality assurance implementation using ISO 9000 framework in small business organisations in the UK. It notes that although quality management has gained momentum in this sector, the lack of strategic thinking and skills needed to embed a total quality orientation has often meant that the espoused benefits of implementing quality assurance schemes are not realised.