ACHIEVING ISO CERTIFICATION IN THE MAQUILADORA INDUSTRY

摘要

This paper explores the role and implications of achieving ISO certification in the maquiladora industry. The maquiladora industry is a manufacturing model that utilizes the Mexican workforce and foreign investment and technology on the border region between the U.S. and Mexico. This paper conducts an empirical investigation of ISO certification practices by distributing a survey instrument among maquiladora plants in El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico. Descriptive statistics (by questions and types of industry) of data are performed. Conclusions and assessments of the analysis and the results of interviews conducted with maquiladora managers are provided. The survey and analysis explore types of relationships with main/core suppliers, length of relationship with main/core suppliers, employee training time, the development of quality manuals, and top management involvement and communication. ISO certified companies exemplify better and longer-term relationships with main/core suppliers, greater top managerial involvement and communication, longer employee training time, and better quality manuals and documentation procedures than those of non-ISO certified companies. Finally, additional insights and perspectives are provided.