Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

Review

Guiding principles of integrated management systems: Towards

unifying a starting point for researchers and practitioners

Oliveira c, *

vio Jose
Thaís Vieira Nunhes a, Merce Bernardo b, Ota
a
Mechanical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Sa ~o Paulo State University UNESP, Avenida Dr. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Pedregulho, Guaratingueta,
Sao Paulo, 12516410, Brazil
b
Department of Business, University of Barcelona UB, Av. Diagonal, 690, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
c ~o Paulo State University UNESP, Avenida Dr. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Pedregulho,
School of Engineering e Department of Industrial Engineering, Sa
Guaratingueta, Sao Paulo, 12516410, Brazil

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The Integrated Management System (IMS) seems to be a suitable strategy to manage multiple systems
Received 22 August 2018 that have to meet the needs and expectations of various stakeholders. The main objective of this research
Received in revised form is to establish the guiding principles of IMS and the essential elements for its development and main-
24 October 2018
tenance in order to move towards unifying a starting point in the literature. This objective was reached
Accepted 6 November 2018
through a systematic content analysis with focus on the content analysis of the most cited articles of
Available online 10 November 2018
Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2006 to 2016. The results indicate the existence of 28 ele-
ments for development and implementation of IMS. Through the critical analysis of these elements 6
Keywords:
Integrated management systems
principles of IMS were systematized: 1) Systemic Management; 2) Standardization; 3) Strategic, tactic
Literature review and operational integration; 4) Organizational learning; 5) Debureaucratization; and 6) Continuous
Principles Improvement. Each principle is a pillar for development and maintenance of IMS. The scientific
contribution of this study is that it represents a starting point towards the establishment of the IMS
theory. Moreover, taking into account these results one can homogenize the basis of IMS, providing
research results with a higher degree of comparability. The results of this work may also help company
managers better target their efforts in the management of the IMS, serving as a guideline to assist them
in developing and maintaining each one of the abovementioned pillars. The best of the authors’
knowledge, this is one of the first attempts to unify the literature.
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 978
2. Literature review on integrated management systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 978
3. Research method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981
3.1. Theme, objective and research method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 982
3.2. Literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 982
3.3. Material collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 982
3.4. Coding and material evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983
4. Results and discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984
4.1. Pillar 1 e systemic management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 986
4.2. Pillar 2 - standardization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 988
4.3. Pillar 3 - integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989
4.4. Pillar 4 e organizational learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989
4.5. Pillar 5 - debureaucratization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 990

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (T.V. Nunhes), merce.bernardo@
ub.edu (M. Bernardo), [email protected] (O.J. Oliveira).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.066
0959-6526/© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
978 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

4.6. Pillar 6 e continuous improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 990

5. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 991
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992

1. Introduction 2016; Lopez-Fresno, 2010; Santos et al., 2017) and key drivers
(Griffith and Bhutto, 2008; Sampaio et al., 2012; Moumen and El
The globalization of the economy, the increased competition in Aoufir, 2017) to provide some starting point for the development
the market and the financial crises have conditioned organizations of researches. However, we observed that these elements were not
to operate in a competitive, uncertain and turbulent environment systematically identified in the literature, which resulted in scat-
(Oliveira, 2013). To survive in this scenario, companies need to meet tered bases that vary significantly from study to study. In this study
the demands of their consumers, who are increasingly expecting we try to move towards a unification of the bases of the IMS from a
improved products and services in terms of price and quality; and theoretical perspective. The research question that guided this
other stakeholders, who generally expect a greater companies' study is as follows: “What are the guiding principles and the
commitment to ethics, human beings and the environment (Delai essential elements for IMS development and maintenance?“. The
and Takhashi, 2013; Oliveira, 2013). In order to meet this wide objective of the study is to establish, through a systematic content
range of stakeholders' needs, companies have increasingly imple- analysis focusing on the 30 most cited articles from 2006 to 2016,
mented management systems (MSs), with emphasis on Quality the guiding principles of IMS and the essential elements for its
Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Sys- development and maintenance in order to move towards unifying a
tems (EMS), Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems starting point in the literature.
(OHSMS) and, more recently, Corporate Social Responsibility In the sequence, a synthesis of the theoretical framework on
Management Systems (CSRMS) (Klute-Wenig and Refflinghaus, IMSs will be presented, followed by the research method section
2015; Abad et al., 2016). and the section of results and discussions, which will address the
Inasmuch as more systems are deployed and maintained, process of systematizing and discussing the guiding principles of
management as a whole becomes more difficult due to the greater IMS in the light of the scientific theory and empirical studies
number of activities to be managed, which can lead to problems in published. The conclusions section closes the paper.
their execution and control, excessive bureaucracy, high costs, etc.
(Sampaio et al., 2012; Oliveira, 2013). Faced with this and consid-
2. Literature review on integrated management systems
ering the similar structure that the aforementioned management
systems were designed, the Integrated Management System (IMS)
IMS interconnects a set of processes through sharing informa-
is seem to be a suitable strategy for the management of multiple
tion, human and financial resources and infrastructure in order to
needs and expectations of stakeholders (Abad et al., 2014). In an
satisfy the needs of different stakeholders (Bernardo et al., 2016;
IMS, the elements and functions that are common to the various
Kopia et al., 2016). It has been much discussed in the academic
systems (QMS, EMS, OHSMS, CSRMS, among others) could be
community of management systems, and as a result, a wide field of
gradually integrated in order to ensure a more efficient manage-
research in this area has been developed (Nunhes et al., 2016;
ment, that is, that saves resources, time and reduces efforts by
Domingues et al., 2017; Bernardo et al., 2017). Pioneering studies
eliminating duplication of tasks, procedures and other bureau-
such as Zwetsloot (1995) and Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998)
cracies (Zeng et al., 2011; Nunhes et al., 2016). The studies on IMS
pointed out that the areas that comprise the management sys-
began before the 2000s (e.g., pioneers Zwetsloot, 1995;
tems influence each other. Therefore, the individual optimization of
Karapetrovic and Willborn, 1998) and since then it has been
the systems is, at its best, a sub-optimization if evaluated from a
developed in a basically progressive way, with many researches
broader managerial perspective.
being published on this subject every year (Domingues et al., 2017;
Griffith and Bhutto (2008) point out that the needs of the
Bernardo et al., 2017).
corporate business are holistic and for this reason, it is necessary to
Recently this area has reached a significant level of develop-
rethink the IMS system's focus in accordance with these various
ment. The studies directed to IMS have gone, in large part, to pre-
needs. Asif et al. (2009) developed a systemic approach for IMS that
sent approaches to amalgamate the knowledge generated in the
is supported by the top management through the inclusion of
last two decades. According to Domingues et al. (2017) this analysis
integration elements in strategic planning, in resource allocation
of successful cases, evolutions, discussions, etc. are extremely
process, in promotion of organizational culture, and in the joint
necessary so that benchmarking can be promoted and thus solid
design and management of key processes. According to Lopez-
foundations for the development of the IMS area can be built. Some
Fresno (2010) the holistic view of the IMS is important to achieve
articles recently published in this line include the development of a
the objectives in a joint and integrated manner, reducing the
model to assess the maturity level of IMSs (Domingues et al., 2016a,
chances of having a functional and restricted approach, which
b), the presentation of a theoretical overview on the evolution of
could hamper the development of the IMS.
IMS research and opportunities for future studies (Nunhes et al.,
Standardization helps ensure the unity of the IMS and is sup-
2016); the literature review conducted specifically to identify IMS
ported by the common structure of the various management sys-
benefits and difficulties (Bernardo et al., 2015); and the empirical
tem standards, which are identical in nature and share key concepts
analysis on IMS from the perspective of companies located in
that facilitate the implementation and integration of other systems.
different countries and from various sectors and sizes (Bernardo
The integrated management of the common elements strengthen
et al., 2017; Moumen and El Aoufir, 2017; Gianni et al., 2017).
the system uniformity (Jørgensen, 2008). The elements and func-
One can observe in the literature the identification of some
tions most commonly integrated are manuals, policies, objectives
structural elements, such as critical success factors (Rebelo et al.,
and goals, structure and responsibilities, top management, work
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 979

instructions, document and record control, training, internal b) be generic and applicable to all types of organizations and
communication, emergency response, performance indicators, accommodate the further integration of other management sys-
nonconformity management, control of monitoring and measuring tems into the IMS, c) be flexible to meet the multiple needs of IMS
equipment, preventive and corrective actions, internal and external systems, d) be compatible with individual systems management
audits and critical analysis (Santos et al., 2013; Nunhes et al. al., models (such as PDCA) in order to facilitate the transition to IMS,
2017). Other activities and operations that are not possible to be and e) be supported by related methodologies to manage the IMS
integrated should be, whenever possible or desirable, redesigned in (Jonker and Karapetrovic, 2004).
such a way that they become synergic with the integrated elements Both academics and certification bodies have proposed models
and functions (Asif et al., 2010; Oliveira, 2013). and methodologies for IMS implementation considering its main
The IMS literature has shown that the integration of common purposes and objectives (Bernardo et al., 2012; Oliveira, 2013;
elements to the systems can help reduce bureaucracy resulting Domingues et al., 2015). The implementation and use of different
from the management of isolated functions (Asif et al., 2010; Santos methodologies lead companies to achieve different results and
et al., 2011; Nunhes et al., 2017). The elimination of excessive bu- levels of integration (Domingues et al., 2016a, b). The lack of a
reaucracy from the processes improves the work of the employees common understanding on the main aspects of integration to avoid
and stimulates the teamwork (Asif et al., 2010; Oliveira, 2013). this type of disparity is pointed out by Nunhes and Oliveira (2018).
Bernardo et al. (2015) conducted a literature review in the Web Asif et al. (2009) presented an overview of some strategies for
of Science, Science Direct, Scopus and Emerald databases to identify IMS implementation and pointed out that they are largely limited.
the benefits and difficulties arising from implementation and use of The authors argued that the IMS models reviewed were supported
IMSs. In all, 18 empirical articles were analyzed and the results by incomplete methodologies for MSs amalgamation. They are
showed that the companies which integrate their management inapplicable to certain situations, such as when the organization
systems have obtained more benefits when compared with com- has no management system implemented and fail to explain where
panies that choose to manage the systems separately. Among the the integration process should start from, what to do and how to
IMS benefits highlighted in the studies by Abad et al. (2014) and do. Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998) suggested that the IMS
Bernardo et al. (2015) are: improvement in efficiency through models and methodologies could be based on a systems approach.
optimization of resource use, time, etc.; improvement in capacity to Wilkinson and Dale (1999), in turn, suggested that the IMS
meet customer needs; higher level of employee satisfaction, which implementation could be based on standards, the total systems
involves improvement in motivation, organizational climate and approach, the TQM, and based on the EFQM model combined with
capacity for teamwork; improvement in communication and the Total Quality philosophy.
knowledge sharing; improvement in the systematization of pro- To verify whether these recommendations were considered to
cedures, work instructions, definition of responsibilities, etc.; base on the subsequent IMS models and to identify whether other
reduction of bureaucracy; improvement of the organizational im- alternatives than these were used, we conducted a review on the
age and market competitiveness and better relationship with main researches that presented models for IMS implementation
stakeholders. and assessment (Table 1).
Regarding the difficulties faced in implementing IMSs, Simon The models for IMSs design, implementation and assessment
et al. (2012) verified four main clusters of difficulties, which are: were largely based on the standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS
lack of resources for integration; difficulties with the imple- 18001, the ISO High Level Structure (more recently) and other ISO
mentation and certification of management systems according to guides, as can be seen in Table 1. Wilkinson and Dale (1999) high-
standards; internal difficulties; and difficulties of understanding lighted that the use of standards as a basis for the design of inte-
and use of norms by employees. The first cluster of difficulties is gration models can limit the models developed for two main
related to the lack of resources such as financial capital, knowledge, reasons: 1) standards do not address the organizational culture and
technology, time, consultants, specific guidelines for systems inte- 2) the addition of other standards increases the complexity of the
gration, etc. (Simon et al., 2012; Bernardo et al., 2012). Faced with model. Regarding the first question raised by Wilkinson and Dale
these impossibilities, the integration of the management systems is (1999) and corroborated by Jørgensen et al. (2006), it is argued
carried out to a limited extent, based on the managers' own ex- that the new versions of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards (both
periences, which although committed to the project, often do not published in 2015) are already leading the top management to
have the necessary know-how to implement the IMS, train em- reflect on the understanding the organization and its internal and
ployees to be knowledge multipliers, create means to spread the external context (ISO, 2018). The ISO structure began to suggest,
new IMS culture in the company, etc. (Asif et al., 2009; Oliveira, albeit timidly in the notes to users, that the values and organiza-
2013). tional culture can be considered in the analysis of the internal
As to the second cluster, the difficulties are related to the dis- context.
similarities that still exist among the standards and that complicate Jørgensen et al. (2006) pointed out that the management model
the integration (Abad et al., 2014). With regard to the internal dif- of ISO 14001:2004 left something to be desired as it did not
ficulties, it is important to note that organizations traditionally approach the stakeholder engagement and the product chain.
maintain working groups separated, and their integration can However, over the years there has been a global trend towards the
generate cultural conflicts, resistance to change and communica- institutionalization of sustainable development in business pro-
tion, etc. (Zeng et al., 2008; Bernardo et al., 2012). The fourth cluster cesses and a greater engagement in dealing with social and envi-
is related to the difficulties arising from the lack of motivation, ronmental responsibility issues has been noticed. Now the need for
attitude and expertise of the employees in using the standards, organizations to understand the needs and expectations of inter-
which can also affect the execution of the tasks in an integrated way ested parties is a mandatory requirement of ISO 9001, ISO 14001
(Simon et al., 2012; Bernardo et al., 2012). and ISO 45001 (occupational, health and safety MS). In addition,
IMS needs strategic support from IMS models and methodolo- ISO 14001:2015 recommends that organization should consider a
gies to help companies to achieve the expected results life cycle perspective when determining environmental aspects
(Karapetrovic and Casadesús, 2009; Oliveira, 2013). In order to be a (ISO, 2018).
basis for IMS, the model have to: a) provide the foundation to Several models were based on the PDCA methodology
integrate the common elements of different management systems,
980 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

Table 1
IMS models and their respective theoretical and conceptual basis.

Author(s)/Year About the model Basis

Conceptual Empirical

Karapetrovic and The authors present a model of a generic - ISO 9001 e

Willborn (1998) performance MS and a model for integrated audit - ISO 14001
system - Systems approach
- Authors theoretical framework
Wilkinson and Dale IMS model based on empirical research addressing - Key IMS issues identified in by Wilkinson - Survey conducted among
(1999) the issues of scope and culture and Dale (2000) companies (57 valid answers)
Labodov
a (2004) Model for IMS implementation using a risk analysis- - Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology - 2 case studies
based approach - OHSAS 18001
- Risk-management approach
- Authors conceptual framework
Rocha et al. (2007) IMSs implementation model for enhance - Authors theoretical framework e
sustainability in business infrastructure - Systems approach
Zeng et al. (2007) Multi-level synergy model (strategic synergy, - Authors literature review - Survey conducted among
organizational structural-resource-cultural companies (104 valid
synergy, and documentation synergy) for an answers)
effective implementation of IMS
Jorgensen et al. IMS model based on a culture of learning and - Authors theoretical framework - IMS standards in Denmark
(2006) continuous improvements with three ambition - ISO Guide 72 and Spain are analyzed
levels of integration - ISO 9001:2000 regarding the ambition level
- ISO 14001:2004 for integration
- OHSAS 18001:2000
- PDCA methodology
Asif et al. (2009) Process-based strategy for IMS implementation and - Author's literature review e
institutionalization
Lopez-Fresno Model based on a systemic approach that proved - Author's literature review - 1 case study
(2010) successful for the design and implementation of an
IMSs in an airline
Rebelo et al. (2014) Flexible integrator and lean model for IMSs - ISO Guide 72 - 1 case study
- PDCA methodology
- Authors literature review
Domingues et al. Maturity Model for IMS Assessment - 8 excellence management pillars - Survey conducted among
(2016a, b) - Authors literature review companies (53 valid answers)
- Survey conducted amid
experts' panel (7
respondents)
Majerník et al. Innovative model for IMSs implementation and - ISO High-Level Structure e
(2017) maintaining according to the revised ISO standards - PDCA methodology

(Labodova
, 2004; Jørgensen et al., 2006; Rebelo et al., 2014; the ISO revised standards in order to make the management sys-
Majerník et al., 2017) and the ISO high-level structure (Majerník tems compatible, and linking them to the PDCA methodology
et al., 2017). The Annex SL (or ISO high-level structure) is the new phases, where Plan comprises the ISO clauses 4, 5, 6, 7; Do - clause
structure present in ISO standards. It is divided into 10 chapters that 8; Check - clause 9 and Act - clause 10 of new the standards with the
aims to improve the integration between the ISO family manage- HLS structure (Rebelo et al., 2014; Majerník et al., 2017; ISO, 2018).
ment standards (ISO/IEC, 2016). The ISO high-level structure is In view of all these changes, one can note a significant evolution of
already present in the ISO standards that had revisions published the ISO standards model to a more suitable structure for integra-
from 2015 onwards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (both revised tion. Although the latest ISO standards still present some limita-
in 2015) and ISO 45001 (published in 2018). tions concerning organizational culture, it is argued this model will
Fonseca (2018) emphasizes that the integration approach pre- probably continue to be used as a basis for the development of
sent in the revised versions of ISO has been received in a positive future IMS strategies.
way by the companies that see integration an alternative that can Only the model proposed by Rocha et al. (2007) was elaborated
bring them benefits. The adoption of new terminologies and the considering the systems approach base, which was also suggested
introduction/reinforcement of approaches to revised ISO standards by Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998). In the systems approach, the
are important points to be discussed. With regard to terminology, it organization is considered as a single system, in the various areas
is noted that there is no longer the term “exclusions” and “man- are derivations of this system adapted to meet the needs and ex-
agement representative”; the term “products” has been replaced by pectations of its stakeholders. The system is top-down viewed, so
“products and services”; documented records, procedures, among that top management is the first to commit to the IMS and to make
others documents are now referred to “documented information”; the necessary efforts for the members of the system also identify
“work environment” changed to “environment for the operation of and commit to the project (Jonker and Karapetrovic, 2004).
process ", “purchased product” changed to “external provider” and According to Wilkinson and Dale (1999) the systems approach
“supplier” changed to “external provider” (Fonseca, 2015). involves the study of the social and technical elements of the single
Regarding the introduced/reinforced approaches, the revised ver- system. The authors argued that the Karapetrovic and Willborn
sions of ISO standards highlight the importance of Risk-Based (1998)‘s model does not make it clear how to approach the social
Thinking, Interested Parties, Change Control, Strategic Direction, elements of the systems approach (e.g organizational culture),
Knowledge Management and Leadership (Nunhes e Oliveira, 2018). focusing only on the technical elements through ISO standards.
The ISO high-level structure (HLS) is gradually being included in When analyzing the model proposed by Rocha et al. (2007), which
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 981

was based on a systems approach, it was verified that the organi- identified from the literature review: macro ergonomics, life cycle
zational culture and other social/sustainability issues are more analysis, successful sustainability, and social accountability. The
clearly addressed in the 7 principles of the model (stakeholders, third axis of the model is based on the following eight excellence
resources, leadership, processes, values, objectives and resources). management pillars: customer focus, leadership, involvement,
The authors advocate that the model based on the systems process approach, systemic approach, continuous improvement,
approach allows the integration of sustainability in the company's decisions based on evidences and mutual beneficial relationships.
business processes. Although they make it clear that they based the The review presented in this section is in line with the results of
model (and the principles) on the systems approach, there is no Nunhes and Oliveira (2018) in the sense that the integration models
information on what was the method that led to the composition of is an important research area in IMS. It is under development and
the 7 principles used in the study. began to contemplate sustainability issues, especially in the social
Domingues et al. (2016a, b) used three axes of elements to pillar.
compose the base of their maturity model for IMSs. The first axis With respect to the model proposed by Domingues et al. (2016a,
comprises a set of 21 key process agents, which were first identified b), although the authors acknowledge the literature review of their
in the literature and then validated by two surveys. The second axis study was performed through a theoretical sampling that consid-
approaches the so-called externalities, which are external features ered “the topics closely related to the specific topic IMSs”, this
that impact the maturity level of the IMS. Four externalities were choice limited the model, since the literature review was restricted
to the analysis of only 13 articles.
The theoretical framework and literature reviews conducted in
Table 2
the studies do not cover a complete analysis of the state-of-the-art
Set of principles cited in IMS studies.
of IMS, focusing on a few studies, which compromises its use as a
IMS-Related Principles Citing Studies basis for the development of models. The academic bases used to
Management systems Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998), Labodova
develop the models are from IMS-related areas, such as risk man-
principles (2004), Zeng et al. (2007), Lopez-Fresno (2010), agement (Labodova
, 2004), management excellence (Asif et al.,
Santos et al. (2011), Rebelo et al. (2014), Luo 2009; Tarí and Molina-Azorín, 2010), etc. Going beyond this
et al. (2015), Abad et al. (2016), Domingues et al.
(2016a, b), Gianni et al. (2017).
finding, we conducted a search to verify the principles of other
Quality management Zeng et al. (2007), Salah et al. (2010), Rebelo areas that have been explicitly cited in the IMS literature. The re-
principles et al. (2014), Luo et al. (2015), Abad et al. (2016), sults of this search are shown in Table 2.
Gianni et al. (2017) An analysis of Table 2 shows the important relationship of the
TQM principles Salah et al. (2010), Savino and Batbaatar (2015),
IMS areas with other disciplines, whereas makes explicit the lack of
Souza and Alves (2016)
Key principles of success for Fresner and Engelhardt (2004) specific IMSs principles to assist the development of new studies
innovative businesses and the proliferation of the own theory of IMSs in the academic
Main basic principles of Sampaio et al. (2012) community in a unified way. It is necessary to go beyond the use of
management systems the general principles of management or common principles to the
Lean and clean principles Rebelo et al. (2015), Souza and Alves (2016)
Corporate sustainability Gianni et al. (2017)
management systems. The knowledge of the IMS theory itself
principles should be used to propose its own principles.
Corporate social Leopoulos et al. (2010), Asif et al. (2013), Gianni
responsibility principles et al. (2017), Souza and Alves (2016)
EFQM principles Garengo and Biazzo (2013), Souza and Alves
3. Research method
(2016)
Organizational principles Zwetsloot (1995)
Principles of excellence Domingues et al. (2016a, b) This section presents information about the methodological
management choices used in the study, the classification of the research and its
ISO High Level Structure Majerník et al. (2017) methodological flow (Fig. 1).
principles
The description of the methodological flow shown in Fig. 1 is as

Fig. 1. Methodological flow.

982 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

follows: to develop them. This step was important to support and justify the
subsequent stages of the study.
3.1. Theme, objective and research method In order to carry out a trustworthy review of the literature, the
most cited articles and also the most recent papers published in
The first step to perform the research was the establishment of journals of relevance in the IMS area were prioritized, such as the
the key elements needed to prepare the project, such as the defi- TQM Journal, Journal of Cleaner Production, Quality Progress, the
nition of the theme in view of its relevance and originality, objec- Journal of Environmental Management, Environmental Quality
tive, delimitation and justification. The potential of the theme was Management, among others (Nunhes et al., 2016).
perceived by means of a search conducted in the Scopus and Web of The most cited articles are those cited in other articles published
Science databases (the most important databases in IMS area), from in journals indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases.
which it was noted that the proposal to systematize the IMS prin- The criterion of using the most cited articles was adopted consid-
ciples had not been explored by means of a content analysis. From ering that they were the most pulverized knowledge in the litera-
this, the authors defined the purpose of the study, which is to ture on IMS, being used in the development of the state-of-the-art
establish, through a systematic content analysis and focusing on in this field. Therefore, the most cited articles are relevant sources
the 30 most cited articles from 2006 to 2016, the guiding principles to be used to provide the reader an acclimatization on the subject
of the IMS and the essential elements for its development and approached in the paper.
maintenance.
This study was delimited to be theoretical with a qualitative 3.3. Material collection
approach. It aims to provide greater familiarity with the problem,
explaining scientifically the characteristics of the phenomenon After conducting the literature review, the first stage of the
observed (Miguel and Souza, 2012). The qualitative approach was content analysis was developed. It consisted of the collection of
developed through the systematic content analysis, which is a material (articles and reviews) used in the systematization of the
method widely used in review papers (e.g. Moldavska and Welo, principles. The search for the articles and reviews was carried out in
2017; Park and Park, 2017; Xia et al., 2018). It consists of a sys- the Scopus and Web of Science databases on 02 May 2017, using the
tematic reading and classification of material using the codification term “integrated management system*s” and its variations, such as
to identify themes and patterns (Moldavska and Welo, 2017). Sys- “management system integration”, “integration of management
tematic content analysis is used for interpretation of text data, systems”, “management systems” and “integration” in titles, key-
enabling to clarify the reader how the connections between the words and abstracts. The result was limited to articles published
data and the results were made (Elo et al., 2014). In order to comply from 2006 to 2016, because it was a period in which the highest
with these requirements, the method used to perform the sys- number of papers was verified. Another filter used was the docu-
tematic content analysis in this study is presented in this section in ment type (articles or reviews only) and the language (English
detail, giving emphasis to the steps of collection, coding and eval- only).
uation of the material to explain how the principles were The search with the refinements of the filters resulted in 196
systematized. articles in Scopus and 161 in Web of Science. Scott (2006) warns
Content analysis can be performed by means of deductive and/ that whenever possible content reviews should include a wide
or inductive approaches. In the case of deductive approaches cat- range of relevant sources. Therefore, the 196 and 161 articles of
egories are assessed based on existing theories, looking for testing Scopus and Web of Science were ranked in descending order of
hypotheses or principles (Bengtsson, 2016; Seuring and Gold, citations and among them we excluded articles that were out of the
2012). This study, however, is in line with the purpose of induc- scope of the study according to the three researches’ screening with
tive approaches, through which categories are proposed from the background in IMS. After applying these filters, the 30 most cited in
material under examination itself (Seuring and Gold, 2012). There is IMS from 2006 to 2016 were selected to compose the portfolio of
a wide range of methodological possibilities for developing such a documents used in the content analysis of this study. Most articles
study. However, the method of systematic content analysis contemplated in the literature review (previous step) were also
(inductive) was chosen as more appropriate for this work consid- contemplated in the content analysis because they were in the top
ering the current fragmentation of the state of state-of-art in IMS. 30 most cited articles.
Therefore, the process of systematization of the principles fulfills Table 4 presents information on this portfolio. The content
the requirements of the inductive content analysis because cate- analysis method suggests that the main documents of the sample
gories were created from raw data, since there are no previous should be selected and effectively analyzed according to a selection
studies dealing with the phenomenon and because the knowledge criterion. In this study, the 30 most cited articles were the ones that
is fragmented (Moldavska and Welo, 2017). most pulverized their contributions in the literature on IMSs
There is no “common recipe” to perform inductive content (together they add up to more than 1400 citations). For this reason,
analysis, and for this reason, the reliability of the analysis can be the results of these articles had a significant impact on the devel-
improved from a detailed description of the steps of preparation, opment of the state-of-the-art of the IMS field. Although the other
organization and assessment of the results (Elo et al., 2014; papers also presented their contributions, they received consider-
Moldavska and Welo, 2017). In this way, we describe here and in ably smaller numbers of citations (at the time of the search, less
the following topics of this section the step-by-step of the study, than 20 citations). This indicates that their results had a smaller
highlighting the method used to perform the content analysis. impact in terms of effective use in advances in the IMSs field.
Therefore, as a matter of feasibility of analysis and focus on the
3.2. Literature review most impactful studies, we decided to select the articles presented
in detail in Table 3.
The literature review has the purpose of acclimating the reader The articles used in the content analysis are concentrated in
with the theme IMS and with the proposal of this study. This sec- certain journals, however, the sample is the result of a general
tion begins with the presentation of general and important topics search in which the impact of articles in the IMS area was priori-
about IMS and then, it focuses on the critical review of the models tized in terms of the number of citations. Thus, the articles with the
for IMS implementation, addressing the principles and bases used greatest impact considered in this study are those that,
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 983

Table 3
The 30 most cited articles in Integrated Management Systems from 2006 to 2016.

Nº Title Author(s)/Year Journal/ISSN Times cited

1 Integrated management systems e three different levels of integration Jørgensen et al. (2006) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 135
6526
2 A synergetic model for implementing an integrated management system: Zeng et al. (2007) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 116
an empirical study in China 6526
3 Integrated management systems: experiences in Italian organizations Salomone (2008) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 112
6526
4 How integrated are environmental, quality and other standardized Bernardo et al. (2009) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 106
management systems? An empirical study 6526
5 Implementing environmental with other standardized management Karapetrovic and Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 89
systems: Scope, sequence, time and integration Casadesús (2009) 6526
6 Towards more sustainable management systems: through life cycle Jørgensen (2008) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 71
management and integration 6526
7 An integrated management systems approach to corporate social Asif et al. (2013) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 60
responsibility 6526
8 Certification and integration of management systems: The experience of Santos et al. (2011) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 58
Portuguese small and medium enterprises 6526
9 Towards occupational health and safety systems in the construction Zeng et al. (2008) Safety Science/0925-7535 49
industry of China
10 Integration of standardized environmental and quality management Simon et al. (2011) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 46
systems audits 6526
11 An empirical study on the integration of management system audits Bernardo et al. (2010) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 45
6526
12 Integration of quality management and environmental management Tarí and Molina-Azorín The TQM Journal/1754-2731 41
systems similarities and the role of the EFQM model (2010)
13 Process embedded design of integrated management systems Asif et al. (2009) International Journal of Quality and 41
Reliability Management/0265-671X
14 Do integration difficulties influence management system integration levels? Bernardo et al. (2012) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 37
6526
15 Integrated management systems in Indian manufacturing organizations Khanna et al. (2010) The TQM Journal/1754-2731 34
some key findings from an empirical study
16 An empirical examination of benefits from implementing integrated Zeng et al. (2011) Total Quality Management and Business 33
management systems (IMS) Excellence/1478-3371
17 Evolution of Integrated Management Systems in Spanish firms Simon et al. (2012)a Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 31
6526
18 Difficulties and benefits of integrated management systems Simon et al. (2012)b Industrial Management and Data 28
Systems/0263-5577
19 Management systems: Integration or addition? Sampaio et al. (2012) International Journal of Quality and 28
Reliability Management/0265-671X
20 Implementation of an integrated management system in an airline: A case
pez-Fresno (2010)
Lo The TQM Journal/1754-2731 28
study
21 Guidelines for the integration of certifiable management systems in Oliveira (2013) Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 25
industrial companies 6526
22 An examination of strategies employed for the integration of management Asif et al. (2010)a The TQM Journal/1754-2731 25
systems
23 The integration of quality management and continuous improvement Salah et al. (2010) International Journal of Productivity 24
methodologies with management systems and Quality Management/1746-6474
24 Improving environmental performance through integrated management Griffith and Bhutto Management of Environmental Quality/ 24
systems (IMS) in the UK (2008) 1477-7835
25 Use of different sustainability management systems in the hospitality Rodríguez-Anto
n et al. Journal of Cleaner Production/0959- 23
industry. The case of Spanish hotels (2012) 6526
26 Rediscovering performance management: Systems, learning and Brudan (2010) Measuring Business Excellence/1368- 22
integration 3047
27 Integration of standardized management systems: Does the Bernardo et al. (2012) International Journal of Operations and 21
implementation order matter? Production Management/0144-3577
28 Integrated management systems: Moving from function to organization/ Leopoulos et al. (2010) The TQM Journal/1754-2731 20
decision view
29 Integration of management systems: A methodology for operational Asif et al. (2010)b Operations Management Research/ 20
excellence and strategic flexibility 1936-9735
30 Better environmental performance: A framework for integrated Griffith and Bhutto Management of Environmental Quality/ 20
management systems (IMS) (2008) 1477-7835

independently of the published journal, had a greater importance identifier (from 1 to 30) that represents the identity of an article
over the period analyzed in the development of the state of the art analyzed. It was performed an initial analysis of these articles
of IMS. The journals that contributed most significantly to the selected for content analysis to examine the journal it was pub-
portfolio reach a considerable range of readership, which has led to lished, the number of citations received until May 2017, the
the pulverization of the results in many other journals. research method and the main conclusions.
Content analysis seeks to identify in a document the frequency
3.4. Coding and material evaluation with which categories of a particular subject are addressed. They
may vary from study to study, according to the researcher's as-
The 30 articles in the portfolio were coded with a numeric sumptions and the nature of the research (Scott, 2006). The IMSs
984 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

elements were identified in the portfolio of articles, and the fre- of the principles may not be in the portfolio. The principles in
quency in which they are cited in the 30 articles was verified, as section 4 are the proposed IMSs basis, which may assist in the
shown in Table 4. development of new strategies, methodologies and guidelines for
The literature on content analysis suggests that only the re- IMSs implementation and use. In the next section of results and
searchers themselves have the ability to understand, analyze and discussion the pillars and their systematization are presented in
evaluate the results obtained adequately. Otherwise, the inclusion light of the literature and based on the authors' experience.
of external participants to the research to verify and analyze the
results may threaten its validity. The dialogue between co- 4. Results and discussion
researchers is often recommended when it comes to qualitative
content analysis (Morse et al., 2002; Elo et al., 2014). Considering In this section the identification of the IMSs elements and the
this, the identification of the elements was developed with the systematization of its principles are presented. In the sequence, the
participation of all the authors of this article, who have great principles are discussed in view of the content analysis conducted
experience in research on IMS. in this study and the existing literature review. The elements
The identification of the elements was performed in a manual address several aspects of IMSs, such as standardization of docu-
and extremely careful way. The authors first carried out an in-depth ments, unification of procedures, integration of responsibilities,
reading of the texts, in which they analyzed methodology, main communication, training, etc. Some of them, however, occur much
insights, contributions and conclusions of the 30 articles of the more often than others in the articles analyzed, as in the case of
portfolio. These and other details about the articles used as basis for element 6, which compared to element 26 appears with a fre-
developing the principles are in Table 3. quency 90% higher (elements 26 and 6 have, respectively 97% and
Several notes of the articles were taken and interpreted. The 7% of frequency). These most cited elements are highlighted in
development of this stage was led by a researcher with background Fig. 2.
in content analysis, while the other two researchers (with expertise Fig. 2 shows the frequencies in which the identified elements
in research on IMS) focused on performing the analysis of the are addressed in the articles analyzed. The elements in the high-
relevant selected papers. The elements identified by each lighted area are more recurring in the portfolio of articles. This
researcher were discussed in some weekly meetings until the result means that the elements 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 20 are
presented in this work was reached. mentioned in at least 70% of the articles, what make them elements
Encoding was also used to assist in the representation of IMS essentially important for a good development and maintenance of
elements. At first, the code labels of the elements were extracted the IMS. These elements are the following: 1) Align and/or integrate
directly from the articles. After, the codes which had similar the responsibilities and authorities of top management and func-
meanings were revised and renamed to become a single element. tional management and promote their engagement with the IMS;
This process was based on the authors' understanding and expe- 3) Manage synergistically and provide human and financial re-
rience in order to avoid redundant information. The elements sources to implement and maintain the IMS; 6) Standardize pro-
identified in the articles received 28 unique numerical identifiers cesses; 9) Investing in workforce training; 10) Integrate systems at
(from 1 to 28), as can be seen in Table 4. This encoding was used to the strategic level; 11) Integrate systems at the tactical level; 12)
reference the articles and the elements in all subsequent analyzes Integrate systems at the operational level; 14) Engaging employees
of the study. in the process of implementing the IMS; 15) Promote the sharing of
Once identified these elements, their cross analysis was carried individual and group-level knowledge and experiences; and 20)
out to identify how many and which articles have mentioned each Eliminate duplication and inconsistencies between documents,
element. The elements that had the highest frequencies in the processes and procedures.
content analysis led to the formation of the principles, while the The “stronger” elements highlighted in Fig. 2 led the systema-
others were clustered to them. The categories created were named tization of the pillars, while those that did not appear so often in the
using content-relevant wording. The set of elements was then portfolio were clustered by similarity. The development and
grouped into categories of principles or pillars, considering their maintenance of the IMS is dependent on all the pillars, regardless of
frequency and their content similarities. the weights of the elements that compose it. The process of
The criterion of selecting the elements most cited in the litera- grouping the elements of Fig. 2 into principles is illustrated in Fig. 3
ture to guide the establishment of principles is in line with Scott below.
(2006), Vaismoradi et al. (2013) and Bengtsson (2016), who The elements of Fig. 2 were separated into groups (Fig. 3) by
advise the creation of groups from the content analysis should means of a critical analysis that indicated the existence of 6 points
consider how often the elements appear. However, as there is no or guiding principles that can support the development of the IMS,
minimum frequency stipulated, we have adopted the threshold of which are: 1) Systemic Management; 2) Standardization; 3) Stra-
70% for convenience. Nevertheless, the other elements (with less tegic, tactic and operational integration; 4) Organizational learning,
than 70% of frequency) were not disregarded, but rather allocated 5) Debureaucratization and 6) Continuous Improvement (Fig. 3).
in the groups created. The few elements that were kept even Each principle corresponds to a pillar for guiding IMS development,
though they were not very frequent were those that the authors which is the result of a clustering of similar and/or related ele-
based on their experiences judged to be important. ments. It is worth noting that element 9 “Invest in education and
The procedure of accounting for the frequency of the elements training of the workforce” appears more than once in Fig. 3, since
was necessary for the accomplishment of the content analysis and training is considered essential for the development of the princi-
this punctual analysis does not mischaracterize the main nature of ples “standardization” and “integration (strategic, tactical and
the work, which is primarily qualitative. In order not to limit the operational)".
conclusions of the study, the section of results and discussion was The strategy used to systematize the principles consisted of
developed based on articles present or not present in the portfolio relating the similar elements, that is, that have some kind of con-
used to systematize the principles and the literature review pre- ceptual link, in groups that comprise important areas for the
sented in section 2. This choice took into account the need for the development and maintenance of an IMS. These key elements have
discussions of the study to go beyond what is presented in the make up the theory of IMSs spread out over the years. Despite this,
portfolio of articles. In this way, some studies used in the discussion we verified that up to date they have not been systematically
Table 4
Review of the main elements for implementing Integrated Management Systems.

# Elements MOST CITED ARTICLES (2006e2016) Freq.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 Align and/or integrate the responsibilities and authorities of top management and functional management and promote x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 24

T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

their engagement with the IMS
2 Identify and work on the interrelationships between the systems (synergies and antagonisms) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 17
3 Manage synergistically and provide human and financial resources to implement and maintain the IMS x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 21
4 Consider stakeholders' needs x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 18
5 Standardize terms and concepts x x x x x x x x 8
6 Standardize processes x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 29
7 Standardize documentation x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 15
8 Developing mechanisms for internal communication x x x x x x x x x x x 11
9 Investing in workforce training x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 24
10 Integrate systems at the strategic level x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 26
11 Integrate systems at the tactical level x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 26
12 Integrate systems at the operacional level x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 29
13 Conduct integrated audits x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 17
14 Engaging employees in the process of implementing the IMS x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 22
15 Promote the sharing of individual and group-level knowledge and experiences x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 22
16 Develop capacity for innovation and openness to change x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 15
17 Develop multipliers and use incentive systems x x x 3
18 Establish an effective flow of information x x x x x x x x x x x x x 13
19 Seek technical advice from experts x x x x x x x x x x 10
20 Eliminate duplication and inconsistencies between documents, processes and procedures x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 24
21 Reduce conflicts between documents, processes and procedures x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 18
22 Standardize and simplify documentation x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 16
23 Merge the documentation x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 14
24 Use organizational culture to support the development of the IMS x x x x x x x x x x x x x 13
25 Identify opportunities to avoid and/or reduce waste x x x x x x x x x x 10
26 Go beyond legal compliance x x 2
27 Promote communication and interaction with stakeholders x x x x x x x x 8
28 Integrate the IMS with other programs, management systems and/or the entire supply chain x x x x x x x x x x x 11

985
986 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

Fig. 2. Main elements for implementation and use of IMSs.

grouped to enable the understanding of how IMS structure works. reducing or eliminating overlaps of departmental interests.
Bearing this in mind, we amalgamated them into the previously For the development of the IMS it is important to remove the
mentioned principles. barriers that naturally exist between management systems and
This strategy is effective because IMS scholars through their that hinder integration, since they promote the isolation and
highly influential works have disseminated the elements used to distancing of different perspectives and knowledge, resulting in
base these principles, leading them to be considered in many other conflicts that impair the performance of the organization (Santos
studies beyond the 30 most cited. It is easy to perceive the diffusion et al., 2011; Bernardo et al., 2012).
of these elements in the literature if we consider that the 30 articles The disciplines of quality, environment, health and safety and
from which the elements were extracted today add up to more than social responsibility are transversal to the organization and their
1400 citations distributed in various journals. Therefore, it is argued existence does not need necessarily to be linked to a specific sector/
these principles cover, in a clear and effective way, the elements department. For this reason, the IMS should be developed through
that were widely mentioned in the analyzed literature, but which systemic management that encompasses the alignment and/or
had not been systematically grouped to enable the understanding integration of the responsibilities of the QMS, EMS, OHSMS, CSRMS,
of how IMS structure works. An illustration of the principles within etc., at all levels, which will promote the engagement of the man-
a possible structure for an IMS is shown in Fig. 4. agers of all these areas with the IMS. The leaderships have to
The principles should be operationalized by applying the IMS disseminate and accompany the process of developing the culture
elements to the quality management systems, environment, health of IMS in the organization (Bernardo et al., 2012; Rebelo et al.,
and safety, social responsibility, and any other management system 2016).
that the organization wishes to integrate. They are not sequential, The top management commitment is essential for the process of
once they are naturally interrelated. While the good development integration and maintenance of the IMS in the organization. The
of one principle may support the development of others; its poor top management must be engaged to the implementation of the
development can result in losses that compromise the whole sys- IMS, promoting its implementation by, for example, the inclusion of
tem. Therefore, both for theoretical and practical purposes (e.g. the IMS in the strategic planning; communicating the IMS objec-
development of researches on IMS and IMS implementation in tives and its plans to the managers and operational employees;
companies) users should contemplate all 6 principles in a balanced providing the correct allocation and prioritization of the material,
and integrated way, so that the development and management of technical and financial resources required for integration, etc. (Zeng
the IMS will be harmonious and interrelated. Next, the IMS prin- et al., 2010).
ciples will be presented and discussed one by one in the light of the To use the systemic management, it is important to identify and
scientific literature. analyze the elements that can be effectively integrated (this issue
will be explained in more detail in Pillar 3: integration). It will be
4.1. Pillar 1 e systemic management possible to better manage the interrelationships between the sys-
tems, that is, to potentialize synergies and to work incompatibilities
The IMS is the fusion of two or more management systems that that exist among the elements of the QMS, EMS, OHSMS, CSRMS,
are coordinated based on a holistic approach (Sampaio et al., 2012). among others.
It is exactly this the approach of the pillar of systemic management, The identification of the critical success factors (CSFs) that
which focuses on the goals of the organization as a whole, by involve the development and maintenance of IMSs is important for
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 987

Fig. 3. Systematization of the principles of IMS.

systemic management. CSFs are important “ingredients” for IMS Rebelo et al. (2016) conducted a theoretical and empirical study
achieving good performance (Rebelo et al., 2016). Companies must that identified 89 CSFs that influence on the development of IMSs,
therefore shed their efforts in a number of areas to successfully among which at least 6 must be measured. The “commitment and
identify and achieve their CSFs. leadership” CSF is more related to this pillar of systemic
988 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

Fig. 4. Principles of IMS.

management. The top management should seek to meet the needs important to note that regardless of the approach used for man-
of the stakeholders in all subsystems of IMS by providing a aging documents, it is advisable to periodically backup the neces-
balanced and consistent allocation of resources, tasks and labor to sary information, and create actions for authorization and access
the areas of quality, environment, health and safety, social re- control of employees to documents.
sponsibility, etc., as appropriate. This is in line with Asif et al. (2013), Still regarding document standardization, Oliveira (2013) em-
which argued that IMSs should present a structured approach to phasizes that it is important to simplify the structure of the docu-
meeting stakeholders’ demands in a coherent and synergistic ments by using graphics, photos and other illustrations; their filling
manner. method, making it as objective as possible; and the language used,
making it easy to be understood by all who will have access to the
4.2. Pillar 2 - standardization document.
The standardization of processes can be developed by elabo-
The standardization achieved from the use of MSs has the rating procedures that describe how a given operation or task
objective of organizing and standardizing the work processes, so should be performed. In an IMS, it shall take into account the
that the expectations of the stakeholders are met in the most processes adequacy to internal rules of the organization; re-
efficient way, that is, at the lowest possible cost and variability (Asif quirements of customers; and environmental, occupational health
et al., 2010; Su et al., 2015). and safety, social responsibility and others requirements, as appli-
By standardizing the QMS, for example, it is possible to reduce cable (Jørgensen, 2008; Tarí and Molina-Azorín, 2010). Among the
the waste of resources and thereby minimize the impact that the procedures that can be integrated are stand out the document
disposal would have on the environment. In addition, the stan- management; corrective action; prospecting, development and
dardization obtained with the QMS could also help mitigating evaluation of suppliers; education and training of the workforce;
possible risks to the worker's health, and the environmental internal audit; communication; control of monitoring and
contamination (Llach et al., 2013; Savino and Mazza, 2014). measuring equipment, etc. (Santos et al., 2011).
Standardization should be applied to documents and processes The pattern should correspond to the best way to perform a
in order to standardize practices, terms and concepts of all man- given task among the possible options to be put into practice. The
agement systems that IMS encompasses (Oliveira, 2013). The patterns can be changed whenever a “new way” of performing a
standardization of documentation should simplify the execution of task (which is better than the current one) is identified. In this case,
the activities of issuing, distribution, disposal and control of doc- if there is a consensus in favor of using the new method, the doc-
uments, making them more objective and minimizing process er- uments (procedures, work instructions, etc.) should be reviewed, so
rors (Lopez-Fresno, 2010; Oliveira, 2013). that the new pattern can be followed by all. The documents are
To this end, it is recommended to establish a system for creating, understood as the written procedures of the IMS (Abad et al., 2014).
updating and controlling the documented information, which may They can be controlled through operational procedures, software
include the use of specific software for document management. It is and other types of control evidence. It is important to create a
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 989

document control to ensure that IMS documents will be properly: products and services, having one of which measuring compliance
a) distributed, accessed, retrieved and used; b) stored and pre- with internal quality requirements, another with respect to legal
served; c) controlled (for example, version control and trace- environmental requirements, among others. If these indicators and
ability); and d) retained and available (ISO 9001, 2015). goals are grouped, the quality and consistency of the final product
To continually improving the patterns used, it is important for conformity assessment can be improved.
employees to be encouraged to identify and communicate oppor- Finally, at the operational level one must identify and integrate
tunities for improvement in their activities. Contrary to what many elements at the level of processes and of the individual. It is
people think, standardization was not thought to be an obstacle essential to define the inputs and outputs of processes to identify
that limits the organization's capability of creating novel ideas who are the customers, and what are the essential processes that
(Manders et al., 2016). can be integrated, etc. At the operational level it is common the
The standardization cycle SDCA (Standard, Do, Check, Act) can integration of work instructions and document control (Zeng et al.,
help managers implementing the standardization system. In a 2007; Oliveira, 2013; Nunhes et al., 2017).
nutshell, to standardize it is necessary to map the processes and In addition, it is advisable for organizations that want to inte-
identify the critical activities involved, which will be those that grate their management systems to conduct audits and workforce
have a significant impact on the final outcome of the process. training in an integrated manner, so that employees can be properly
Thereby, among all the activities of the organization the priority of integrated with the IMS (Bernardo et al., 2010; Simon et al., 2014).
standardization should be given to those that are critical, that is, The integrated internal audits are more effective as they involve a
that present the most significant operational risks of quality, single audit team, with a single audit plan and a single final report,
environment and health and safety. which may contain specific nonconformities and improvement
Once the critical activities have been identified, the operational opportunities both for each management system and for the IMS as
procedures should be developed. The operational procedures are a whole (Simon et al., 2014).
documents describing how the activities have to be carried out. It is important to plan an internal audit program that establishes
Finally, training should be provided for the employees involved, as the frequency with which they will be conducted, the scope, the
well as a periodic monitoring of the standardization process to see selection criteria of auditors ensuring that audits will be carry out
if the current pattern is adequate or if revisions are needed. with impartially and ensure that their results are treated by senior
Internal communication and investment in education and management and, if appropriate, corrective actions are taken.
training of the labor force are important so that employees are able
to use the documents and operate the processes in accordance with 4.4. Pillar 4 e organizational learning
the standard set out in the scope of the IMS (Tarí and Molina-
Azorín, 2010; Oliveira, 2013). Developing and maintaining the IMS is a process of continuous
reconstruction and adaptation to constant updates and innovations
4.3. Pillar 3 - integration (Jørgensen et al., 2006, 2008). It is advisable that the organization
develop a learning culture and strategic flexibility, which could give
The integration of the management systems at the strategic, support to the management of the challenges and complex issues
tactical and operational levels is another important pillar to be that the internal and external environments present (Jørgensen
developed. Bernardo et al. (2009) observed the top-down approach et al., 2006; Asif et al., 2010; Sampaio et al., 2012).
is the most commonly approach used for integration. In this It is important to find ways to facilitate the creation and sharing
approach, the integration process generally begins with the inte- of knowledge in the IMS. Through the development of learning, it is
gration of more strategic decisions, integrating tactical and opera- possible to improve the communication between the top man-
tional issues at a later stage (Santos et al., 2011). This path to agement, employees and stakeholders. It also fosters the develop-
integration has been shown to be effective in the literature of IMS, ment of transversal competences that favors the systemic
and therefore its use is recommended (Zeng et al., 2007; Santos management (Saide and Mahendrawathi, 2015).
et al., 2011; Oliveira, 2013). To develop this pillar, it is first suggested to determine the hu-
The integration at the strategic level provides the necessary man competencies required for the development of processes,
basis for disseminating the culture and the integration practices at products, services and their integration. Competence is the set of
the tactical and operational levels. It is advisable to start the inte- knowledge, skills and attitudes that individuals intend to develop
gration with a self-assessment of the company's strategic and (Jacobs et al., 2013). The human resources area can assist the
operational situation in order to identify the synergies between identification, evaluation and detailing of the core competencies for
systems that could, through integration, bring cost, waste and bu- the activities of the QMS, EMS, OHSMS, CRSMS and of the IMS as a
reaucracy reduction to the company (Oliveira, 2013). At the stra- whole (Longenecker and Fink, 2013).
tegic level, it is common to integrate responsibilities, plans, In addition, it is necessary to identify the available sources to
mission, vision, policy and objectives (Tarí and Molina-Azorín, acquire these competences, which may be intellectual property,
2010). lessons learned from failures and successful projects, workshops,
At the tactical level the goals, indicators, and activities of in- lectures, training, and others (Bierema and Callahan, 2014; Ubeda-
termediate level should be integrated in order to monitor and garcía et al., 2013). The intellectual property involves the granting
measure the performance from an integrated and standardized of patents (inventions, utility models, industrial and design
perspective (Nunhes et al., 2017). The evolution of the integrated models) or trademarks (industry, service, advertising), by means of
goals and indicators should be disseminated across the sectors, which the company can obtain an essential competence.
thus making the information on IMS performance available to The promotion of workshops can help in integrating the IMS
everyone in the company and supporting decision-making and working group through the exchange of knowledge, experiences,
strategic planning. discussion on good practices, code of ethics, etc. Eventually, the
To do so, it is recommended the formulation of a system for workshops can be open to clients, suppliers and community in
measurement and monitoring of activities and processes that group order to integrate them into the organization. It can help better
the existing goals and indicators. For example, suppose a company understand the stakeholders and thereby obtain important infor-
has three indicators that allow evaluating the compliance of its mation about credibility, size, market influence and positioning on
990 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

investment, community, and environmental issues. This informa- accumulation of rules, regulations, procedures, manuals, docu-
tion can be used in the organization's strategic planning. ments and responsibilities which make difficult to perform tasks,
Workshops and trainings can be part of awareness campaigns decision making, and management as a whole (Jørgensen et al.,
about, for example, safety on-the-job, everyday issues such as hy- 2006; Tarí and Molina-Azorín, 2010; Santos et al., 2011).
giene, safety, food, sexually-transmitted diseases, among others. In order to develop this pillar, it is necessary to carry out, as
More generic workshops and trainings that stimulate teamwork, mentioned also in the standardization pillar, the mapping of the
exchange of ideas, communication, problem-solving, time use, processes and the identification of the critical activities of each of
planning, among other topics can also be taught to all employees, so them. With this, it will be possible to identify wastage of time,
that a leveling of team knowledge is established about the subject material, labor, financial resources, etc. Therefore, it is recom-
matter, facilitating a common understanding and the adoption of mended to analyze carefully the process map in order to identify
working standards. improvement opportunities that can simplify processes, keeping
Trainings should be conducted to prepare employees to act in only the activities, resources and documents that are in fact
the process of IMS implementation. The human resources area indispensable.
together with top management should define the necessary The debureaucratization of the MSs can be achieved through the
trainings for the IMS team and develop a plan to apply them. It is integration of management manuals, processes and procedures;
recommended that this plan contains interaction dynamics to help integration of authorities and responsibilities; development of the
develop, integrate and unite collaborators and teams, which is learning culture, promoting the development and involvement of
essential in an IMS (Oliveira, 2013). It is important that top man- employees with less dependence on specialization; training for
agement make the necessary efforts and participate in training staff adaptation to the IMS culture; and development of systemic
planning to guarantee that the training needs are outlined in the management as the basis for systems development.
company's strategic planning and the necessary resources are Many of the problems that generate excessive bureaucracy in
provided, and that the other members of the system also realize the management systems are related to infrastructure, documents and
importance of committing themselves to the implementation activities that do not add value. Thus, it is important that during the
project of the IMS (Jonker and Karapetrovic, 2004; Zeng et al., development of the IMS these problems be identified, measured
2010). and eliminated; otherwise all expected results with integration
IMS managers should be responsible for organizing the work- may be compromised.
shops and trainings. They themselves can give it or the company
may provide consultants with specific expertise (depending on the 4.6. Pillar 6 e continuous improvement
subject matter) to do so. All employees in the IMS sector (if the
company already has a specific IMS sector) should participate in the The continuous improvement pillar should support the devel-
trainings and, as a priority, key employees at all levels of each IMS opment and improvement of the elements of the other IMS pillars.
subarea. Key personnel who receive the training should be Continuous improvement, or Kaizen, is a set of processes that are
instructed by the IMS manager to share the knowledge acquired developed so that the entire organization seeks improvements in
with their co-workers. It is recommended that the results of the quality, productivity, safety, competitiveness, etc. (Juburg et al.,
training be evaluated by the person who gave them and, if neces- 2017; Lleo et al., 2017). It should be structured to quickly identify
sary, complementary actions be established. organizational problems and solve them through small steps that,
To develop the organizational learning pillar of the IMS, it is over time, can bring significant improvements to the company
important to stimulate the participation of the employees by (Gonzalez and Martins, 2015; Silva et al., 2017).
creating, for instance, employee suggestion systems through which Continuous improvement should be developed in the company
they can propose incremental improvements and shed light on culture using the processes of identification, analysis and definition
opportunities for innovation. Also, opportunities for improvements of actions and deadlines to solve a given problem (Sokovic et al.,
and innovations can arise from consulting independent IMS ex- 2010). Managers should seek the continuous improvement of the
perts, which has the advantage of providing a wide, impartial and IMS through the creation of an improvement plan based on the
external view of the system. It is recommended to train employees PDCA and SDCA cycles. The PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a method
to be knowledge multipliers. They should be able to know how to widely used to develop these improvement routines and generate
adapt the technical language to the public in order to disseminate positive changes (Asif et al., 2013). This plan could present a diag-
knowledge (Asif et al., 2011; Oliveira, 2013; Bernardo, 2014). nosis of the opportunities for improvement at all levels and pro-
cesses of the company, describe the actions, resources and goals
4.5. Pillar 5 - debureaucratization necessary for its optimization, etc. The SDCA (Standard, Do, Check,
Act) will support the standardization and sharing of improvements
The pillar of debureaucratization seeks to combat the excess of across the company. The improvement plan should focus on the
bureaucracy by reducing and simplifying processes in the organi- standardization of good results, in order to allow to replicate them
zation. The organization needs bureaucratic stabilization, effi- consistently, thus reducing the variability among the systems and
ciency, and appropriate structures to enable employees to perform reducing costs and waste (Fig. 5).
their tasks better (Adler and Borys, 1996). Thus, the objective of this The use of PDCA and SDCA (Fig. 5) can help improve the IMS
pillar is not to eliminate the bureaucracy of the system, but to performance. The actions that will be part of these plans can vary
develop an enabling bureaucracy, that is, to promote the autonomy from company to company, according to the degree of maturity of
and empowerment of employees, through the use of documents the IMS. It is advisable to conduct a periodic evaluation of the
and procedures as tools to support the work of the employees system to identify the level of maturity of the IMS so that, based on
rather than reinforcing the authority of superiors (Asif et al., 2010; the results of the evaluation, a feasible improvement plan is drawn
Oliveira, 2013). up. We recommend reading Domingues et al. (2016a, b), which
Bureaucracy is indispensable to help employees achieve the presented a model for assessing the degree of maturity of IMSs that
desired goals, as it supports them to understand and execute their allows managers to direct their efforts towards the evolution of the
activities with more efficiency and excellence. However, when the system from one level to another, as the case may be.
bureaucracy of management systems is not integrated, there is an The elements selected to compose the pillar of continuous
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 991

Fig. 5. Continuous improvement cycle.

Source: Based on Gorenflo and Moran (2009).

improvement characterize “fully integrated” systems, or systems environmental impact assessment of products and processes.
that are “expanding integration” by means of the incorporation of This pillar was the only one based on elements that did not have
other elements, such as cleaner production, sustainability, risk been mentioned in more than 70% of the articles analyzed. How-
management, etc. In this way, it is expected the elements of this ever, the elements related to the continuous improvement pillar
pillar can support companies to move its IMSs towards excellence. have been presented in the literature more recently, which means
In order that the organization culture can support the devel- that as the research on IMS advances, more elements for its
opment of IMS actions, it is needed the IMS elements be inserted continuous improvement are being explored and new opportu-
into the routine activities of the company, and also be communi- nities to innovate are being suggested.
cated by senior management to employees and stakeholders, as
previous discussed in pillar 4. The IMS should directly influence the 5. Conclusions
development of the companies' competitive strategies. If the IMS is
properly considered by the managers, it will be easier to use the The main objective of this research is to establish the guiding
organizational culture to foster IMS development (Barbosa et al., principles of IMS and the essential elements for its development
2017). The continuous improvement of the IMS depends on the and maintenance. This objective was reached through a systematic
development of a lean infrastructure to meet the stakeholders’ content analysis with focus on the most cited articles on IMS from
needs, which involves identifying opportunities to avoid and/or 2006 to 2016. Based on the results obtained, several important
reduce waste (Jørgensen et al., 2006). Investing in employee pre- conclusions can be highlighted.
paredness actions (pillar 4), for instance, can make employees First, it was identified the existence of 28 elements for the
aware about health, safety and environmental issues to the point development and maintenance of the IMS in the portfolio of articles
that they understand the waste of certain hazardous substances can analyzed. Among these, it was verified that some are addressed
be harmful to their own health, the quality of the final work is more frequently than others, which make it possible to conclude
related to their well-being and quality of life at work, etc. that there are elements that are essential to provide a basis for the
It is important for continued improvement of the IMS that it be IMSs. In all, 6 principles of IMS were systematized: 1) Systemic
supported and/or integrated with other programs, management Management; 2) Standardization; 3) Strategic, tactic and opera-
systems, and the entire supply chain. Jørgensen (2008) emphasized tional integration; 4) Organizational learning; 5) Debureaucrati-
that it is important the focus of the IMS is on the entire production zation; and 6) Continuous Improvement. Each principle is a result
chain. A more collaborative approach with stakeholders could bring of a grouping of elements by similarity and corresponds to a pillar
opportunities to improve practices, products and processes, besides for development and maintenance of IMS.
allowing to direct and balance the system for sustainability. The management of an IMS must contemplate the balanced
Therefore, it is recommended the integration of IMS with tools management of the 6 pillars, since they will provide the necessary
and techniques such as Cleaner Production, Product Life Cycle basis for the system to be developed and maintained in a more
Assessment and Cost of Living, Eco-design, Risk Assessment Sus- homogeneous, consistent and integrated manner. The adequate
tainability Indicators and Reports, Codes of Conduct, etc., according development of one principle can support the development of
to the reality and need of the company (Jørgensen, 2008; Asif et al., others, that is, they are correlated and the poor development of one
2010; Rebelo et al., 2014). Also, tools inherent to a specific discipline of them can result in damages that compromise the whole system.
can be applied in other and for different purposes, as is the case of The theoretical contribution of this study is to be a starting point
Quality Function Deployment and Failure Mode and Effects Anal- towards the unification of the IMS theory. The results of this paper
ysis (QFD), which although came from quality management, can will open space for dialogue towards the unification of concepts
also be used to develop elements of sustainability in the IMS, and will help other researchers to develop researches on the sub-
supporting, for instance, the development of products, and the ject through the use of these principles in the proposition of
992 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993

models, performance of case studies, surveys, etc. If considered in the integration of management system audits. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 486e495.
Bernardo, M., Casadesus, M., Karapetrovic, S., Heras, I., 2009. How integrated are
future studies the principles can help to unify the basis of IMS
environmental, quality and other standardized management systems? An
theory by providing researches with a stronger and more consistent empirical study. J. Clean. Prod. 17, 742e750.
theoretical basis. Bierema, L., Callahan, J.L., 2014. Transforming HRD: a framework for critical HRD
Despite focusing on contributing academically, the paper also practice. Adv. Develop. Hum. Resour. 16, 429e444.
Brudan, A., 2010. Rediscovering performance management: systems, learning and
brings applied contributions. The principles can act as a practical integration. Meas. Bus. Excell. 14, 109e123.
guideline to assist company managers in better target their efforts Delai, I., Takahashi, S., 2013. Corporate sustainability in emerging markets: insights
and allocate resources in the management of the IMS. The guide- from the practices reported by the Brazilian retailers. J. Clean. Prod. 47, 211e221.
Domingues, P., Sampaio, P., Arezes, P.M., 2017. Management systems integration:
lines address key points that must be considered by any manager survey results. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 34, 1252e1294.
who wishes to implement or who has already implemented an IMS Domingues, P., Sampaio, P., Arezes, P.M., 2016a. Integrated management systems
in the company. The results bring about practical examples of ac- assessment: a maturity model proposal. J. Clean. Prod. 124, 164e174.
Domingues, J.P.T., Fonseca, L., Sampaio, P., Arezes, P.M., 2016b. Integrated versus
tions, practices and tools that can assist the development of the nonintegrated perspectives of auditors concerning the new ISO 9001 revision.
IMS. In: IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering
The method used in this study has a strong emphasis on the Management, pp. 866e870.
Domingues, P., Sampaio, P., Arezes, P.M., 2015. Analysis of integrated management
interpretation of written word. The interpretation in turn is influ- systems from various perspectives. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel. 26,
enced by the perceptions of the author's experiences, which limited 1311e1334.
the results. Therefore, the inclusion of external domain experts in Elo, S., et al., 2014. Qualitative content analysis: a focus in trustworthiness. SAGE
Open 4 (1), 1e10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014522633.
the discussion of the pillars is an opportunity for continuity and
Fonseca, L.M., 2015. From Quality Gurus and TQM to ISO 9001:2015: a review of
improvement of this research. Future studies could investigate the several quality Paths. International Journal for Quality Research 9 (1), 167e180.
possible relationships between the proposed principles of IMS with Fonseca, L.M., 2018. Exploratory research of ISO 14001:2015 transition among
the principles of other disciplines, such as ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Portuguese organizations. Sustainability 10, 1e16. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su10030781.
Management, Human Resources Development, etc. Future re- Fresner, J., Engelhardt, G., 2004. Experiences with integrated management systems
searches could also conduct confirmatory studies to identify char- for two small companies in Austria. J. Clean. Prod. 12, 623e631.
acteristics of the IMSs principles empirically. Finally, it is suggested Garengo, P., Biazzo, S., 2013. From ISO quality standards to an integrated manage-
ment system: an implementation process in SME. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel.
to future studies to develop integration methodologies that 24, 310e335.
contemplate the principles systematized in this study. Gianni, M., Gotzamani, K., Vouzas, F., 2017. Food integrated management systems:
dairy industry insights. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 34, 194e215.
Gonzalez, R., Martins, M., 2015. Compete ^ncias habilitadoras da melhoria contínua:
Acknowledgements estudo de casos em empresas do setor automobilístico e de bens de capital
(Enabling skills of continuous improvement: case studies in companies of the
This work was supported by the Brazilian Council for Scientific automotive and capital goods sectors). Gesta ~o Produç~
ao 22, 725e742.
Gorenflo, G., Moran, J.W., 2009. The ABCs of PDCA. Accreditation Coalition, Min-
and Technological Development (CNPq) [Grant number PQ 312894/ Nesota (USA).
2017] and the Sa~o Paulo Research Foundation [Grant numbers Griffith, A., Bhutto, K., 2008. Improving environmental performance through inte-
2016/20160-0 and 2017/18304-7]. grated management systems (IMS) in the UK. Management of Environmental
Quality 19, 565e578.
ISO [International organization for Standardization], 2018. Updates. https://www.
References iso.org (accessed 10 April 2018).
ISO [International organization for Standardization], 2001. Guide 72: Guidelines for
Abad, J., Cabrera, H.R., Medina, A., 2016. An analysis of the perceived difficulties Justification and Development of Management System Standards, p. 26.
arising during the process of integrating management systems. J. Ind. Eng. ISO [International organization for Standardization] 9001, 2015b. Quality Manage-
Manag. 9, 860e878. ment Systems Requirements (ISO 9001:2015). Beuth Verlag, Berlin.
Abad, J., Dalmau, I., Vilajosana, J., 2014. Taxonomic proposal for integration levels of ISO/IEC, 2016. IEC Directives Supplement.
management systems based on empirical evidence and derived corporate Jacobs, R., Manion, R., Davies, H.T., Harrison, S., Konteh, F., Walshe, K., 2013. The
benefits. J. Clean. Prod. 78, 164e173. relationship between organizational culture and performance in acute hospi-
Adler, P.S., Borys, B., 1996. Two types of bureaucracy: enabling and coercive. Adm. tals. Soc. Sci. Med. 76, 115e125.
Sci. Q. 41, 61. Jonker, J., Karapetrovic, S., 2004. Systems thinking for the integration of manage-
Asif, M., Searcy, C., Zutshi, A., Fisscher, O., 2013. An integrated management systems ment systems. Bus. Process Manag. J. 10, 608e615.
approach to corporate social responsibility. J. Clean. Prod. 56, 7e17. Jørgensen, T.H., 2008. Towards more sustainable management systems: through life
Asif, M., Searcy, C., Zutshi, A., Ahmad, N., 2011. An integrated management systems cycle management and integration. J. Clean. Prod. 16, 1071e1080.
approach to corporate sustainability. Eur. Bus. Rev. 23, 353e367. Jørgensen, T.H., Remmen, A., Mellado, M.D., 2006. Integrated Management Systems-
Asif, M., Fisscher, O.A.M., Bruijn, E.J., Pagell, M., 2010. Integration of management three different levels of integration. J. Clean. Prod. 14, 713e722.
systems: a methodology for operational excellence and strategic flexibility. Juburg, D., Viles, E., Tanco, M., Mateo, R., 2017. What motivates employees to
Operations Management Research 3, 146e160. participate in continuous improvement activities? Total Qual. Manag. Bus.
Asif, M., Bruijn, E.J., Fisscher, O.A.M., Searcy, C., Steenhuis, H.-J., 2009. Process Excel. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2016.1150170.
embedded design of integrated management systems. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Karapetrovic, S., Casadesús, M., 2009. Implementing environmental with other
Manag. 26, 261e282. standardized management systems: scope, sequence, time and integration.
Barbosa, L.C.F., Nunhes, T.V., Santos, G., Oliveira, O.J., 2017. Alinhamento dos Siste- J. Clean. Prod. 17, 533e540.
mas de gest~ ao integrados com a cultura organizacional (Alignment of inte- Karapetrovic, S., Willborn, W., 1998. Integration of quality and environmental
grated management systems with organizational culture). In: Proceedings of management systems concepts Integration of quality and environmental. TQM
the 13th Iberian-american Congress of Mechanical Engineering. CIBEM, Lisboa, Mag. 10, 204e213.
Portugal.. Khanna, H.K., Laroiya, S.C., Sharma, D.D., 2010. Integrated management systems in
Bengtsson, M., 2016. How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content Indian manufacturing organizations: some key findings from an empirical
analysis. NursingPlus Open 2, 8e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001. study. TQM J. 22, 670e686.
Bernardo, M., Gianni, M., Gotzamani, K., Simon, A., 2017. Is there a common pattern Klute-Wenig, S., Refflinghaus, R., 2015. Integrating sustainability aspects into an
to integrate multiple management systems? A comparative analysis between integrated management system. The TQM Journal 27, 303e315.
organizations in Greece and Spain. J. Clean. Prod. 151, 121e133. Kopia, J., Kompalla, A., Ceauşu, I., 2016. Theory and practice of integrating man-
Bernardo, M., Gotzamani, K., Vouzas, F., Casadesus, M., 2016. A qualitative study on agement systems with high level structure. Quality - Access to Success 17.
integrated management systems in a non-leading country in certifications. Labodova
, A., 2004. Implementing integrated management systems using a risk
Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel. 1e28. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2016. analysis based approach. J. Clean. Prod. 12, 571e580.
1212652. Leopoulos, V., Voulgaridou, D., Bellos, E., Kirytopoulos, K., 2010. Integrated man-
Bernardo, M., Alexandra, S., Tarí, J.J., Molina-Azorín, J.F., 2015. Benefits of manage- agement systems: moving from function to organisation/decision view. TQM
ment systems integration: a literature review. J. Clean. Prod. 94, 260e267. Journal 22, 594e628.
Bernardo, M., Casadesus, M., Karapetrovic, S., Heras, I., 2012. Do integration diffi- Llach, J., Perramon, J., Alonso-almeida, M.D.M., Bagur-femenías, L., 2013. Joint
culties influence management system integration levels? J. Clean. Prod. 21, impact of quality and environmental practices on firm performance in small
23e33. service businesses: an empirical study of restaurants. J. Clean. Prod. 44, 96e104.
Bernardo, M., Casadesus, M., Karapetrovic, S., Heras, I., 2010. An empirical study on Lleo, A., Villes, E., Jurburg, D., Lomas, L., 2017. Strengthening employee participation
 T.V. Nunhes et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 210 (2019) 977e993 993

and commitment to continuous improvement through middle manager trust- Santos, G., Barros, S., Mendes, F., Lopes, N., 2013. The main benefits associated with
worthy behaviours. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel. 28 (9e10), 974e988. https:// health and safety management systems certification in Portuguese small and
doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1303872. medium enterprises post quality management system certification. Saf. Sci. 51,
Longenecker, C.O., Fink, L.S., 2013. Creating human-resource management value in 29e36.
the twenty-first century: seven steps to strategic HR. Hum. Resour. Manag. Int. Santos, G., Mendes, F., Barbosa, J., 2011. Certification and integration of management
Digest 21, 29e32. systems: the experience of Portuguese small and medium enterprises. J. Clean.
Lopez-Fresno, P., 2010. Implementation of an integrated management system in an Prod. 19, 1965e1974.
airline: a case study. The TQM Journal 22, 629e647. Savino, M.M., Batbaatar, E., 2015. Investigating the resources for Integrated Man-
Luo, H., LI, G., LI, C., 2015. Research on integration method of integrated manage- agement Systems within resource-based and contingency perspective in
ment system. Open Autom. Contr. Syst. J. 1, 1802e1807. manufacturing firms. J. Clean. Prod. 104, 392e402.
Manders, B., De Vries, H.J., Blind, K., 2016. ISO 9001 and product innovation: a Savino, M.M., Mazza, A., 2014. Toward Environmental and Quality Sustainability: an
literature review and research framework. Technovation 48e49, 41e55. Integrated Approach for Continuous Improvement, pp. 171e181.
Majerník, M., Daneshjo, N., San ciov
a, G., Chovancova
, J., 2017. Design of integrated Scott, 2006. J. Content analysis. In: Jupp, V. (Ed.), The Sage Dictionary of Social
management systems according to the revised iso standards. Polish Journal of Research Methods. Sage Publications Ltd., pp. 79e249
Management Studies 15, 135e143. Seuring, S., Gold, S., 2012. Conducting content-analysis based literature reviews in
Miguel, P.A.C., Souza, R., 2012. O me
todo de estudo de caso na engenharia de supply chain management. Supply Chain Manag.: Int. J. 17 (5), 544e555. https://
produça ~o. In: Metodologia de pesquisa em engenharia de produça ~o e gesta
~o de doi.org/10.1108/13598541211258609.
operaço ~es [Research methodology in production engineering and operations Simon, A., et al., 2011. Integration of standardized environmental and quality
management], second ed. Elsevier, Rio de Janeiro, pp. 131e148. management systems audits. J. Clean Prod. 19, 2057e2065. Elsevier Ltd.
Moldavska, A., Welo, T., 2017. The concept of sustainable manufacturing and its Simon, A., Karapetrovic, S., Casadesús, M., 2012. Difficulties and benefits of inte-
definitions: a content-analysis based literature review. J. Clean. Prod. 166, grated management systems. Ind. Manag. Data Syst. 112, 828e846.
744e755. Simon, A., Yaya, L.H.P., Karapetrovic, S., Casadesús, M., 2014. An empirical analysis of
Moumen, M., El Aoufir, H., 2017. Quality, safety and environment management the integration of internal and external management system audits. J. Clean.
systems (QSE): analysis of empirical studies on integrated management sys- Prod. 66, 499e506.
tems (IMS). J. Decis. Syst. 26, 207e228. Silva, A.S., Medeiros, C.F., Vieira, R.Q., 2017. Cleaner production and PDCA cycle:
Nunhes, T.V., Ferreira Motta, L.C., Oliveira, O.J., 2016. Evolution of integrated man- practical application for reducing the cans loss index in a beverage company.
agement systems research on the Journal of Cleaner Production: identification J. Clean. Prod. 150, 324e338.
of contributions and gaps in the literature. J. Clean. Prod. 139, 1234e1244. Sokovic, M., Pavletic, D., Pipan, K.K., 2010. Quality improvement methodologies e
Nunhes, T.V., Motta Barbosa, L.C., Oliveira, O.J., 2017. Identification and analysis of PDCA cycle, RADAR matrix, DMAIC and DFSS. Journal of Achievements in Ma-
the elements and functions integrable in integrated management systems. terials and Manufacturing Engineering 43, 476e483.
J. Clean. Prod. 142, 3225e3235. Souza, J.P.E., Alves, J.M., 2016. Lean-integrated management system: a model for
Nunhes, T.V., Oliveira, O.J., 2018. Analysis of Integrated Management Systems sustainability improvement. J. Clean. Prod. 172, 2667e2682.
research: identifying core themes and trends for future studies. Total Qual. Su, H., Dhanorkar, S., Linderman, K., 2015. A competitive advantage from the
Manag. Bus. Excel. 1e23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2018.1471981. implementation timing of ISO management standards. J. Oper. Manag. 37,
Oliveira, O.J., 2013. Guidelines for the integration of certifiable management sys- 31e44.
tems in industrial companies. J. Clean. Prod. 57, 124e133. Tarí, J.J., Molina-Azorín, J.F., 2010. Integration of quality management and envi-
Park, S.B., Park, K., 2017. Thematic trends in event management research. Int. J. ronmental management systems: similarities and the role of the EFQM model.
Contemp. Hospit. Manag. 29 (3), 848e861. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-09- The TQM Journal 22, 687e701.
2015-0521. Ubeda-garcía, M., Marco-Laraja, B., Sabater-Sempere, V., García-Lillo, F., 2013. Does
Rebelo, M.F., Santos, G., Silva, R.U.I., 2016. Integrated management systems : critical training influence organisational performance? Analysis of the Spanish hotel
success factors. J. Global Econ. Manag. Bus. Res. 5, 109e124. sector. European Journal of Trainning and Development 37, 380e413.
Rebelo, M.F., Santos, G., Silva, R., 2015. Integration of management systems: towards Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., Bondas, T., 2013. Content analysis and thematic
a sustained success and development of organizations. J. Clean. Prod. 127, analysis: implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nurs.
96e111. Health Sci. 15 (3), 398e405. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12048.
Rebelo, M., Santos, G., Silva, R., 2014. Conception of a flexible integrator and lean Wilkinson, G., Dale, B.G., 1999. Models of management system standards: a review
model for integrated management systems. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel. 25, of the integration issues. Int. J. Manag. Rev. 3, 279e298.
683e701. Xia, B., Olanipekun, A., Chen, Q., Xie, L., 2018. Conceptualising the state of the art of
Rocha, M., Searcy, C., Karapetrovic, S., 2007. Integrating sustainable development corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the construction industry and its nexus
into existing management systems. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excel. 18, 83e92. to sustainable development. J. Clean. Prod. 195, 340e353. https://doi.org/
Rodríguez-Anto
n, J.M., et al., 2012. Use of different sustainability management 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.05.157.
systems in the hospitality industry. the case of Spanish hotels’. J. Clean. Prod 22, Zeng, S.X., Xie, X.M., Tam, C.M., Shen, L.Y., 2011. An empirical examination of ben-
76e84. Elsevier Ltd. efits from implementing integrated management systems (IMS). Total Qual.
Saide, Mahendrawathi, E.R., 2015. Knowledge management support for enterprise Manag. Bus. Excel. 22, 173e186.
resource planning implementation. Procedia Computer Science 72, 613e621. Zeng, S.X., Tam, V.W.Y., Le, K.N., 2010. Towards effectiveness of integrated man-
Salah, S., Carretero, J.A., Rahim, A., 2010. The integration of quality management and agement systems for enterprises. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Eco-
continuous improvement methodologies with management systems. Int. J. nomics 21, 171e179.
Prod. Qual. Manag. 6, 269e288. Zeng, S.X., Tam, V.W.Y., Tam, C.M., 2008. Towards occupational health and safety
Salomone, R., 2008. Integrated management systems: experiences in Italian orga- systems in the construction industry of China. Saf. Sci. 46, 1155e1168.
nizations. J. Clean. Prod. 16, 1786e1806. Zeng, S.X., Shi, J.J., Lou, G.X., 2007. A synergetic model for implementing an inte-
Sampaio, P., Saraiva, P., Domingues, P., 2012. Management systems: integration or grated management system: an empirical study in China. J. Clean. Prod. 15,
addition? Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 29, 402e424. 1760e1767.
Santos, D., Ferreira Rebelo, M., Doiro, M., Santos, G., 2017. The integration of certified Zwetsloot, G.I.J.M., 1995. Improving cleaner production by integration into the
Management Systems. Case study - organizations located at the district of management of quality, environment and working conditions. J. Clean. Prod. 3,
Braga, Portugal. Procedia Manufacturing 13, 964e971. 61e66.