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Standards play an increasingly important role in the development of the “global village”, both from the economic and the quality of life perspective. However, development of standards should always be in tune with the needs of a free economy, whose main engine is differentiation. Standardization and differentiation can be complementary, but only to the extent that a correct balance between the two is kept. The balance becomes particularly delicate when standards move from product‐related issues to organization‐related issues, as is the case of quality system standards. Starting from a brief review of ISO 9000 and its role in the past decade, then moving to Vision 2000, the paper expresses reservations about the benefits and opportunity for standards to enter the organizational improvement area. In a situation of continuous change and global competition, differentiation seems to be the name of the game, more than standardization. Instead, a kind of “standards syndrome” seems to take place, where standards are expected to legitimize managers’ choices.

The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the usefulness of quality standards aimed at prevention interventions for drug using young offenders.

This paper uses critical literature on quality standards, readings of quality standards and qualitative interviews as well as focus-group discussions with professionals working in services targeting drug use among young offenders.

The findings show discrepancies between the idea that quality standards provide a tool for supporting the implementation of more effective interventions and professionals’ experiences with quality standards as almost absent in their work.

This viewpoint highlights barriers to the implementation of quality standards that have to be overcome if quality standards are to be adopted and implemented in practice.

Concerns about quality and standards of care in the nursing and residential home sector have exercised policymakers, managers and practitioners in both Australia and the UK for some years. While Australia is a relatively young country, demographically speaking, it has in place a coherent ‘aged care’ policy. The UK on the other hand, with its rapidly ageing profile, has only recently made a serious policy commitment to the health and social care agenda for older people. Australia therefore has several years of experience to be shared with the UK when it comes to policy and practice of quality improvement. In particular, there are valuable lessons to be learnt from Australia's national outcome standards and monitoring system for care homes, and its more recent introduction of a care homes accreditation system. Apart from identifying any issues associated with the implementation of such approaches to quality improvement, it is important to establish whether they have an impact on the quality of care and life of older residents. As the UK moves to implementing national minimum standards in 2002, lessons from Australia are timely and may help inform best practice and policy in long‐term care in the future.

Considers the series of environmental standards known as ISO 14000. Presents an overview of the organization‐processes group of these standards, and a comparison with the existing quality standards ‐ ISO 9000 and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. ISO 14000 is concerned with establishing guidelines and principles for the management of environmental matters by organizations, through the establishment and operation of an environmental management system (EMS). Finds there is synergy between a quality management system (QMS) and an EMS; that like a QMS, an EMS must be an integral part of an organization’s overall management system; and that like a QMS, the design of an EMS is an ongoing process of continuous improvement. Concludes with several proposed research questions.

Discusses how, with the introduction of so many standards/awards, organizations are left wondering which road to take on their journey towards total quality. Considers the problem from a number of stand points. Asserts that quality standards will present daunting challenges for potential users. Poses the question of fusion and whether all this disparate quality standards activity will achieve cohesion. Contends the critical measure is that credible standards must be of premium quality and premium service.

This paper investigates the pattern or trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus TQM in Western Europe from a longitudinal perspective, using empirical data. The research is based on three large‐scale surveys conducted in 1992‐1993, 1996‐1997 and 2001‐2002 respectively, in 13 Western European countries. The results of the surveys show that European companies have put considerable effort into ISO 9000 certification. However, the results also reveal that, around 1996‐1997, European companies had also planned to implement TQM. However, the result of the planned “go beyond ISO to TQM” fell short of the anticipated extent, indicating that the adoption of TQM in Europe was slower than expected. Early in the twenty‐first century, European companies are still very keen on implementing TQM, indicating an obvious intention to shift from ISO 9000 to TQM. To ensure that the shift will occur this time however, the two approaches must be integrated properly. Although both ISO 9000 standards and the TQM/EFQM model have been recently updated or modified, how to best incorporate the two systems remains one of the major tasks of quality management in the future.

A study was done to document the standards that should be adhered to by library and information professionals in Zimbabwe to assure quality in service provision in order to meet the sustainable development goals. A literature review and web content analysis were done to unpack the various standards that all types of libraries should consider from library buildings, service provision, qualifications and accreditation of library and information science schools and professionals, and assessing the impact of libraries in the communities that they are serving. The findings review that there are international and national standards from various governing bodies that should be considered in library and information service provision. The author recommends the implementation of these standards in all the libraries to assure quality in library and information service provision.

Many views on quality management in professional service firms derived from ideas of industrial quality management. It seems that in the area of professional services these ideas are taken over without much criticism. For instance, the ideas on quality control and quality assurance generally are heavily based on the ISO 9000 standards. In The Netherlands the PACE‐standards have been deduced from the ISO 9000 standards for application in hospitals. In this paper it has been argued that in many cases a more situational approach will be preferable. A global framework for a quality system in a professional service firm has been presented.This framework has been compared with the restrictions for quality systems in hospitals, following from the PACE‐standards.

This paper introduces the philosophy of Quality Assurance and traces the development of the British Standard for Quality Systems — BS 5750. The key components of the Quality System are covered and there is a discussion on how to choose a Quality System which is most appropriate to the needs of the particular organization. A comprehensive guide (including flowcharts) is also given which addresses the nature and scope of tasks which must be undertaken in implementing a Quality System commensurate with the requirements of a recognized international standard such as BS 5750.