Select 1
Select 1
Select 1
ABSTRACT: This paper has two main sections, the first of which presents a summarized review of the literature
concerning previous studies on the implementation of ISO 9000 quality management systems (QMSs) both in global
construction companies as well as in Indonesian construction firms, and the perceived correlation between
organisational culture and QMS practices in the construction sector. The first section of the paper contributes to the
development of the second section, which presents details of the research project being undertaken. Based on the
fundamental questions that led to the development of the main research objectives, suitable research methods have been
developed in order to meet these objectives. Primary data will be collected by use of a mixed methods approach, i.e.,
questionnaire surveys and focus group discussions/interviews in order to obtain opinions from respondents drawn from
targeted ISO construction firms. Most of the data expected to be obtained will be in future be analyzed using statistical
software then the findings will be discussed in order to ultimately develop a culture-based QMS framework.
Keywords: Quality management system, organisational culture, Indonesian construction, qualitative research methods.
Lecturer, Manado State Polytechnic, Indonesia, and PhD candidate, School of Urban Development, Faculty of Built Environment &
Engineering, QUT, debby.willar@student.qut.edu.au, AUSTRALIA
2
Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, v.coffey@qut.edu.au, AUSTRALIA
3
Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology, bambang.trigunarsyah@qut.edu.au, AUSTRALIA
BACKGROUND
The quality management systems (QMSs) currently
being implemented by Indonesian constructors and
builders, are based on the ISO 9000 series of standards,
and are becoming increasingly important to customers
who have developed a growing aspiration to procure
qualified and professional construction firms, capable of
meeting their specification requirements and giving
better customer satisfaction through successful project
delivery.
However, there appears to be a substantial gap
between the goals of ISO 9000 and what actually
happens in practice on construction and infrastructure
projects in Indonesia. Although purportedly operating
QMSs certified to ISO 9000, Indonesian construction
firms appear to have obtained their certification just to
demonstrate that the companies actually have a
management system, and that they can be deemed
capable of producing quality project delivery. In other
words, they are often using the certification solely in
order to have eligibility for undertaking bidding and
procurement activities, particularly on government
sponsored projects. The mere existence of QMS
documentation such as quality plans, procedures and
work instructions in companies head offices does not
align with the deep-rooted operational practices and
procedures needed for the ultimate deliverable of welloperated QMSs which is to achieve customer satisfaction
and focus, in other words the espoused values of ISO
9000.
To date, much research has been conducted into QMS
implementation and its advantages to stakeholders, both
internal and external, of construction projects. However,
only limited research has been carried out into studying
whether the deep-seated corporate cultures of companies
influence and are absorbed into, the QMS practices and
how this impacts on quality system outputs, both
generally within the construction sector and specifically
in the Indonesian construction industry. The successful
implementation of an ISO certified QMS, requires a total
change in organisational focus even to the extent of
adopting a new culture that must be focused on
achievement of greater customer satisfaction and
improvement in operational processes at all levels of the
company. Effective QMSs and strong corporate culture
are mutually bound together as is evidenced by the
failure of many companies, not strongly committed to
continuous improvement and ultimate customer
satisfaction, being unable to implement quality practices
and achieve quality outcomes.
This paper describes exploratory research being
undertaken with the major aim of ultimately establishing
LITERATURE REVIEW
ISO 9000 Quality Management System (QMS)
It is generally true to say that in the construction
industry globally, the purpose of every construction firm
is to win over customers trust and acknowledgment as a
means of gaining greater business competitiveness and
for making greater profit. The ISO 9000 series,
developed by the International Standards Organisation
(ISO) is a standard related to implementing better quality
management, control and assurance in companies (Chini
and Valdez 2003) and is already widely accepted in
many manufacturing, production and services industries
because it focuses on customer focus, leadership, people
involvement, process approach, systems approach,
continual improvement, and promotes a factual approach
to decision making (Turk 2005; Tricker 2008). The
standard is actually a generic one and because of this is
not confined to those industries mentioned but can also
be used successfully by construction companies on their
projects, even though every project is unique and
involves different sub-contractors and suppliers.
Effectively implementing a quality management
system, espousing quality values or adopting a high-level
quality philosophy, whether it is by virtue of operating
an ISO 9000 QMS, or by applying a TQM approach,
potentially provides benefits that are needed by any
construction company. Low and Wee (2001) claim that
by employing an ISO 9000-certified QMS, work
repetition, project delays and failure to meet
specifications can be minimized. Other advantages are
that the buildability factor of most projects can be
increased whilst the project cost is decreased because of
the use of an appropriate framework for controlling the
processes required when constructing the project. In
RESEARCH PROJECT
Research Method
The research project will utilize a mix of quantitative
and qualitative methodologies. The quantitative
approach is considered appropriate to achieve the first
Original
English
version
(E1)
English
version
(E2)
Bahasa
version
(B1)
Bahasa
version
(B2)
Bahasa
(Final
version)
Back-translation Processes
Survey
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research project is funded by DIKTI Scholarships
on behalf of The Ministry of National Education of The
Republic of Indonesia.
REFERENCES
Andi and Chandra, H.P. (2007). Budaya Kualitas pada
Proyek Konstruksi. In Konstruksi: Industri,
Pengelolaan dan Rekayasa, Institut Teknologi
Bandung, Bandung: 85 96.
Bell, J. (2006). Doing Your Research Project, A Guide
for First-Time Researchers in Education, Health and