EXPLORING AND VALIDATING CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSFS) FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF ISO 9001 QMS IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.831106Keywords:
Critical Success Factors (CSFs), ISO9001, Malaysian Public Universities, Soft TQM, Quality Management System (QMS)Abstract
ISO 9001 is the world's most widely adopted Quality Management System (QMS) standard, providing a systematic framework for improving organizational processes, enhancing service quality, and strengthening institutional performance. Despite its widespread adoption, empirical evidence on the critical factors contributing to the successful implementation of ISO 9001 in Malaysian public universities remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and validate the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for the successful implementation of ISO 9001 QMS in Malaysian public universities. A mixed-methods research design was employed. In the qualitative phase, the CSFs were explored through a systematic literature review and focus group interviews with university employees. In the quantitative phase, the identified CSFs and their corresponding indicators were validated using survey data collected from university employees selected through proportionate stratified sampling. A total of 358 valid responses were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The findings identified five key CSFs: Top Management Commitment, Employee Empowerment, Teamwork, Training and Education, and Employee Involvement. Collectively, these factors explained 66.699% of the total variance and were represented by 22 measurement indicators. The validated measurement model demonstrated satisfactory construct validity and good model fit, confirming the robustness of the proposed CSF framework. The findings provide practical guidance for university administrators and policymakers in strengthening ISO 9001 implementation and offer a validated framework that advances the quality management literature within the higher education sector.
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