A framework for the integration of management systems in organisations

Abstract

During the last decade, the integration of management systems (this includes any management system that is used to achieve the goals of an organisation example PASCAL, ISO standards and enterprise resource planning), has become an increasingly important strategy adopted by organisations, as it represents an alternative to operating with multiple management systems in parallel (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Despite the established need for the integration of management systems, research on how to carry out integration has yet to be developed fully and an elaborated methodology of integration needs full realisation (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy, Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). The aim of the current study was to develop a framework for organisations that could be used for the integration of management systems in a structured manner. This study was undertaken by exploring the views and opinions of senior management through fourteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thereafter, an online survey collected 220 responses from four South African multinational organisations involved with management system development and implementation. The research instrument used a seven-point Likert-type scale for the respondents to rate each question. The data was analysed statistically primarily using factor analysis to confirm the significant factors and then structural equation modelling to test the relationships between the factors, which ultimately confirmed the developed framework. The beneficiaries of this research are primarily organisations that have three or more management systems in an organisation. The framework will also be valuable to management in industry and policymakers since it addresses key integration issues, such as employee performance, organisational culture, employee motivation and policy as factors when considering integration of management systems.

Kule minyaka ilishumi idluleyo amaqumrhu aye aphuhlisa ngamandla icebo lobulumko lokuhlanganiswa kweenkqubo zolawulo (kuquka nayiphi na inkqubo yolawulo esetyenziselwa ukufezekisa iinjongo zequmrhu, iinkqubo ezifana nePASCAL, ISO, ne standards and enterprise resource planning). Oku kumele indlela eyenye yokusebenzisa ngaxeshanye iinkqubo zolawulo ezininzi (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Ngaphandle kokuba siqondakala kakuhle isidingo sokuhlanganisa iinkqubo zolawulo, alukaphuhliswa kakuhle uphando lokuqhuba oko kuhlanganisa (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Injongo yolu phando kukuphuhlisa isakhelo esinokusetyenziswa ngamaqumrhu ekuhlanganiseni iinkqubo zolawulo ngendlela efanelekileyo. Esi sifundo saqhutywa ngokuphengulula izimvo neengcinga zabaphathi abakwizinga elingentla ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe nabaphathi abali-14 nganye nganye. Emva koko kwenziwa intlolomvo kubantu abangama-220 abasebenza kumaqumrhu amane aseMzantsi Afrika, maqumrhu lawo asebenza ngophuhliso nokusetyenziswa kweenkqubo zolawulo. Isixhobo sophando esisetyenzisiweyo sisikali esineencam esisixhenxe esiludidi lweLikert, apho abathathi nxaxheba bebeka esikalini umbuzo ngamnye abawunikiweyo. Iinkcukacha zolwazi zahlalutywa ngobuchule bezobalo, kuqukaniswa iimpendulo ezenza udidi olunye, emva koko kwasetyenziswa indlela yokuhlalutya apho kuphononongwa ukwalamana ngoonobangela neziphumo zemiba ethile, okuthe ekugqibeleni kwaveliswa isakhelo. Abancedakeleyo lolu phando ngamaqumrhu asebenzisa iinkqubo zolawulo ezintathu nangaphezulu. Isakhelo esiphuhlisiweyo siya kuba luncedo kakhulu kubalawuli nabaqulunqi bomgaqo nkqubo, kuba sijolise kwimibandela yokuhlanganisa, efana nendlela abasebenza ngayo abaqeshwa, inkcubeko yequmrhu, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi nemiba emalunga nomgaqo nkqubo oqwalaselwa xa kuhlanganiswa iinkqubo zolawulo

Kule minyaka eyishumi edlule, ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha (kufaka kukho noma yiluphi uhlelo lokuphatha olusetshenziselwa ukufeza izinhloso zenhlangano, njengePASCAL, amaqophelo e-ISO kanye nokuhlelwa kwezinsiza zebhizinisi), sekuyicebo elibaluleke kakhulu elamukelwa yizinhlangano, njengoba kumele enye indlela yokusebenza nezinhlelo eziningi zokuphatha ngokuhambisanayo (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014: 860). Yize sekubonakale isidingo sokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha, ucwaningo lokuthi kuzohlanganiswa kanjani kusamele luthuthukiswe ngokuphelele kanti nendlela ecacile yokuhlanganiswa kumele ifezeke ngokugcwele (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Inhloso yocwaningo lwamanje bekungukuthuthukisa uhlaka lwezinhlangano olungasetshenziselwa ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha ngendlela ehlelekile. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ngokuhlola imibono nemicabango yabaphathi abaphezulu ngokuba nezingxoxo eziyi-14 ezingahlelekile ngokuphelele ezibe khona kuxoxwa ubuso nobuso. Ngemuva kwalokho, ucwaningo olwenziwa ngokuqoqa imininingwane ngobuchwepheshe bekhompuyutha lwaqoqa izimpendulo ezingama-220 ezinhlanganweni ezine zaseNingizimu Afrika ezihlanganise amazwe ahlukene nezibandakanyeka ekusungulweni nasekuqaliseni ukusebenza kohlelo lokuphatha. Kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga yesikali sohlobo lwe-Likert samaphoyinti ayisikhombisa abaphendulayo abakala ngaso umbuzo ngamunye. Imininingwane ihlaziyiwe ngokwezibalo kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziywa kwezinto ngokuqavile ukuqinisekisa izici ezibalulekile bese kulandelwa indlela yokulinganisa ukwakheka ukuhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kwezici, okugcina kuqinisekisa uhlaka olusunguliwe. Abahlomuli balolu cwaningo ngokuqavile yizinhlangano ezinezinhlelo ezintathu noma ngaphezulu zokuphatha enhlanganweni. Uhlaka luzoba wusizo nakubaphathi embonini nakubenzi bezinqubomgomo, njengoba lubheka izingqinamba ezibalulekile zokuhlanganiswa, njengokusebenza kahle kwabasebenzi, isiko lenhlangano, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi kanye nenqubomgomo njengezinto ezibhekwayo uma kucatshangwa ngokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha.