The support of Quality Management to sustainable development: a literature review

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 138; no. 2; pp. 148 - 157
• Main Authors: Siva, Vanajah, Gremyr, Ida, Bergquist, Bjarne, Garvare, Rickard, Zobel, Thomas, Isaksson, Raine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2016
• Subjects: BUSINESS EXCELLENCE; Effective innovation and organisation (AERI); Effektiv innovation och organisation (FOI); EMPIRICAL-EXAMINATION; Environmental management systems; Environmental performance; ENVIRONMENTAL-MANAGEMENT; IMPACT; IMPLEMENTATION; Integrated management systems; INTEGRATION; Integration of management systems; Kvalitetsteknik; Literature review; Literature reviews; Management systems; Miljöledning; ORGANIZATIONS; Planning; Quality management; Quality management practices; Quality Technology & Management; Research and development management; SAFETY MANAGEMENT; Stakeholder management; Sustainability; Sustainability considerations; Sustainable development; SYSTEMS; Literature review; Sustainable development; Sustainability; Quality management
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.01.020

Quality Management is considered to be suitable as support for the integration of sustainability considerations in areas such as product development. The purpose of this paper is to review research in which Quality Management methods, tools or practices have been used in conjunction with sustainable development initiatives. We have identified four themes that synthesize the research on Quality Management and its support to approaches for sustainable development: (I) supporting sustainability through integration of management systems, (II) Quality Management as support to the implementation of Environmental Management Systems and to the management of sustainability, (III) supporting integration of sustainability considerations in daily work, and (IV) supporting stakeholder management and customer focus. By far the most research has been conducted within the first two themes. This paper also contributes with proposals for future research, such as the need to move beyond existing standards and management systems to enable more radical improvements, and the need for empirical evidence of the effect of integrated management systems on environmental performance. We also highlight the point that Quality Management practices and tools must be developed and adapted in order to support sustainability considerations. •Quality Management is supportive of sustainable development initiatives.•Integrated management systems support sustainable development initiatives.•Quality Management supports environmental management system implementation.•Quality Management supports integration of sustainability considerations.•Adaptation of Quality Management tools is needed to better support sustainability.