Abstract:

The implementation of QMS – especially ISO 9001 certifications – has become crucial to businesses trying to streamline, stay in line with the international standards, and stay ahead of the competition. While the benefits of QMS have been studied extensively in developed economies, their efficacy in developing countries, like Guyana, is understudied. This paper studies why QMS use drives business decisions in Guyana – from both an internal motivation perspective (efficiency and profit) to an external pressure perspective (regulatory compliance and market position).
Through a mixed-methods approach, it draws on quantitative results from formal surveys and qualitative data from semi-structured online interviews. This stratified random sample method surveyed 65 approved manufacturers, service providers, natural resources and agricultural companies, which resulted in a response rate of 77%. The primary conclusions are that internal drivers like "Efficiency and Profitability" remain top priority, and that external drivers like "Regulatory Compliance" and "Market Competitivity" are increasingly driving QMS adoption. The emergence of themes, like "Innovation Improvement" and "Compliance Standards" reveals the shift in the use of QMS to promote organizational innovation and strategic responsiveness in Guyana’s rapidly changing business climate. This research fills the gap in the body of knowledge on QMS adoption in emerging economies. It offers pragmatic guidance for Guyanese businesses and policymakers to adopt QMS as a route to sustainable growth, enhanced competitiveness and international market access. Future research is encouraged to examine sector specific challenges and the cumulative effects of QMS on organizational performance over the long term in resource-strapped settings.

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