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The ISO 9000 certification: Little pain, big gain?

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  • Javorcik, Beata
  • Sawada, Naotaka

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of obtaining an ISO 9000 certification on various aspects of business performance using firm-level panel data from Slovenia covering the period 1987-2006. To control for the possible endogeneity of obtaining the certification propensity score matching is combined with a difference-in-differences approach. The results indicate that an ISO 9000 certification boost the certified firm's sales, exports and employment. It also has a positive effect on profits, profitability ratio, labor productivity and wages, though these effects appear with a delay and the latter two are less robust.

Suggested Citation

  • Javorcik, Beata & Sawada, Naotaka, 2018. "The ISO 9000 certification: Little pain, big gain?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 103-114.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:105:y:2018:i:c:p:103-114
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.03.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Javorcik, Beata Smarzynska & Spatareanu, Mariana, 2008. "To share or not to share: Does local participation matter for spillovers from foreign direct investment?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(1-2), pages 194-217, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Calza, Elisa & Goedhuys, Micheline, 2018. "Domestic quality certification and growth of Vietnamese MSMEs," MERIT Working Papers 2018-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Ullah, Barkat, 2020. "Signaling value of quality certification: Financing under asymmetric information," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    3. Ikram, M. & Sroufe, Robert & Rehman, E. & Shah, S.Z.A. & Mahmoudi, A., 2020. "Do Quality, Environmental, and Social (QES) Certifications Improve International Trade? A Comparative Grey Relation Analysis of Developing vs. Developed Countries," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 545(C).
    4. Gereben, Áron & Rop, Anton & Petriček, Matic & Winkler, Adalbert, 2019. "The impact of international financial institutions on small and medium enterprises: The case of EIB lending in Central and Eastern Europe," EIB Working Papers 2019/09, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    5. Driffield, Nigel & Du, Jun & Song, Meng, 2021. "Internationalization pathways of Chinese private firms: A closer look at firm-specific advantages," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    6. Neda Trifkovic, 2024. "Certifiable management standards, labor productivity, and worker wages: Evidence from the food sector in Vietnam," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 161-184, January.
    7. DeStefano,Timothy & Timmis,Jonathan David, 2021. "Robots and Export Quality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9678, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ISO 9000; Management; Firm performance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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