An examination of strategies employed for the integration of management systems

Abstract

PurposeThis paper is an empirical study of the organisational approaches used for integration of management systems (MSs) and the comparative effectiveness of such approaches.Design/methodology/approachResearch employed four case studies. Results are derived from the analysis of triangulated evidence obtained from in‐depth interviews, observations, internal documents analysis, archives, and short questionnaires.FindingsResults identified two archetypes of integration strategies termed “systems approach” and “techno‐centric approach”. Maximum benefits are achieved by using a systems approach to integration of MSs, while using the techno‐centric approach leads to benefits mainly at the operational level.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is qualitative and, as such, does not investigate the integration of MSs across a large number of organisations. The research does not investigate the causality between strategies employed for integration and their outcomes.Originality/valueThere is little empirical research to date on the strategies employed for integration of MSs and their effectiveness. This research contributes to both literature and practice by demonstrating that a systems approach gives rise to greater integration throughout various organisational levels and greater benefits as compared to other approaches.