Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: a review of empirical studies and issues of integration

International Journal of Management Reviews (2009)
doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2008.00238.x
International Journal of Management Reviews Volume 11 Issue 2 pp. 197–222
197
© 2008 The Authors
Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and British Academy of Management. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Garsington Road, Oxford OX 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Oxford, UK
IJMR
International Journal of Management Reviews 1468-2370
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008
XXX
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
QM, EM and firm performance
XXXXXX
Quality management,
environmental
management and firm
performance: A review
of empirical studies and
issues of integration
José F. Molina-Azorín, Juan J. Tar, Enrique Claver-
Cortés and Mara D. López-Gamero
Quality management (QM) and environmental management (EM) are two business practices that may affect firm performance. These practices are being increasingly introduced into firms, which often use them jointly owing to their similarities. As a result of these similarities,
their integration has become a popular topic of research and practice. In the field of integration, the highest level of integration maybe achieved by means of a single, full QM–
EM system (QEM) in which QM and EM lose their independence. It is therefore desirable to identify dimensions from which to assess these management practices and their effects on performance. The aim of this paper is to carryout a literature review in order to propose and analyse dimensions for QM, EM, QEM and firm performance, as well as models of cause–
effect relationships between these variables. The topics reviewed are the following (1) the
QM and EM dimensions (2) the empirical studies about QM–performance and EM–
performance links and (3) issues of integration. The review suggests that the large body of
QM research may inform EM and QEM. This is so because research on the QM side is more advanced and developed than that on the EM side.
Introduction
Quality management (QM) and environmental management (EM) are business practices that may affect firm performance. As several empirical studies have shown, implementing
QM effectively can influence firm performance positively (Flynn et al. 1995; Kaynak