Accepted Manuscript

ISO 9001 implementation and associated manufacturing and marketing practices in

the olive oil industry in southern Spain

C. Parra-López, A. Hinojosa-Rodríguez, C. Carmona-Torres, S. Sayadi

PII: S0956-7135(15)30217-6
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.09.038
Reference: JFCO 4672

To appear in: Food Control

Received Date: 15 June 2015

Revised Date: 25 September 2015
Accepted Date: 26 September 2015

Please cite this article as: Parra-López C., Hinojosa-Rodríguez A., Carmona-Torres C. & Sayadi S., ISO
9001 implementation and associated manufacturing and marketing practices in the olive oil industry in
southern Spain, Food Control (2015), doi: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.09.038.

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
1 ISO 9001 IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSOCIATED MANUFACTURING AND

2 MARKETING PRACTICES IN THE OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY IN SOUTHERN SPAIN

4 C. Parra-López*, A. Hinojosa-Rodríguez, C. Carmona-Torres, S. Sayadi

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6 Department of Agricultural Economics and Sociology. Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries

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7 Research and Training (IFAPA). P.O. Box 2027 – 18080 Granada, Spain

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9 *Corresponding author: E-mail address: carlos.parra@juntadeandalucia.es; tel.: +34

10 671532146; fax: +34 958944010. IFAPA Camino de Purchil. Apdo. 2027 – 18080 Granada

11 (Spain)
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13 ABSTRACT

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15 This article examines 1) the factors that condition the implementation of Quality
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16 Management Systems (QMS) meeting the requirements of ISO 9001 in the olive oil industry
17 of Andalusia, the world-leading olive oil producing region in southern Spain; and 2) whether
18 the implementation of ISO 9001 is associated with the use of better manufacturing and
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19 marketing practices by these industries. The study is based on a survey of 101 olive oil
20 enterprises. As conditioning factors, the managerial and supervisory staff of ISO 9001
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21 enterprises tend to be younger and more dynamic, highly educated and more in touch with
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22 new, high-quality sources of information, more willing to take risks, less focused on
23 economic profit, and more oriented to selling olive oil further and faster. Good manufacturing
24 practices are, in general, widespread in the Andalusian olive oil industry. Regarding
25 marketing practices, ISO 9001 industries are more reliant on the use of ICTs and on the
26 diversification of the type of olive oil sold. The policy implications of the work carried out are
27 diverse if a wider implementation of ISO 9001 and better practices are the aim: fostering
28 rejuvenation and formal education; training and information programmes based on successful

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29 ISO 9001 enterprises; proving the economic viability of ISO 9001; improving access to
30 credit; and developing innovative marketing strategies.
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32 Keywords: Food quality; Quality Management Systems; ISO; good practices; Integrated

33 Production; olive oil industry.

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35 1 Introduction

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37 The globalisation of the world economy and the expansion of international trade have

38 led to rapid processes of quality internationalization, which have now become a crucial part of

39 enterprises’ competitiveness (Ruzevicius, 2008). Since the early 1980s, manufacturing

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40 industries worldwide have witnessed a revolution in the way they operate: consumers have

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41 become more and more demanding and the key to enterprises’ survival is the

42 acknowledgement of the importance of customer satisfaction (Efstratiadis, et al., 2000). In the

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43 agri-food sector, food quality is an increasingly important attribute not just for consumers in

44 developed countries but also for the upper-middle classes in developing countries (Anania &

45
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Pupo D'Andrea, 2008; Mili & Rodríguez Zúñiga, 2001; Sanz Cañada & Macías Vázquez,
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46 2005). Enterprises have had to set up proper Quality Management Systems (QMS) in order to
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47 control and monitor all stages of the production process and they have had to provide proof to

48 their potential customers that their product is of a guaranteed – and in some cases certified –
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49 quality (Tricker, 2010). If a QMS passes a certification process carried out by a certification
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50 body guaranteeing that it meets the requirements of a recognised standard (such as ISO 9001),

51 it can be referred to as a Certified QMS (CQMS). However, a QMS can also operate and be
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52 effective without certification.

53 Spain is the world leader in olive growing, accounting for 38.7% of world production
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54 and 24.4% of olive surface area in 2013 (FAO, 2015). Andalusia, a region in southern Spain,

55 is the most important olive-growing area in the country and in the world, representing 75.7%

56 of the olive production and 62.3% of the olive surface area of Spain in 2013 (MAGRAMA,

57 2014). More than 70% of the olive oil produced in Spain comes mainly from first and second

58 degree cooperative mills which are composed of a wide group of small/medium olive growers

59 who cooperate in order to press the olives (Sanz Cañada & Macías Vázquez, 2005). The

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60 distribution of olive oil is dominated by large distribution and major bottling enterprises

61 (Anania & Pupo D'Andrea, 2008; Montegut Salla, et al., 2007; Sanz Cañada, et al., 1998).

62 Spain is the biggest olive oil exporter in the world (FAO, 2015). More than 60% of Spanish

63 olive oil is destined for export, including both the final bottled product and bull olive oil

64 which is subsequently processed and bottled (MARM, 2010b). Olive oil exportation has been

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65 increasing sharply at a rate of 14.8% per year over the period 1999-2009 (MARM, 2010a,

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66 2010b). The main destinations for Spanish exports are other EU-27 countries (74.8% of

67 exports) and emerging markets such as USA and Australia (7.3% and 2.7% respectively)

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68 (MARM, 2010b). These markets and larger-scale distribution are resulting in increasing

69 demand for the internationally recognised quality standards (Anania & Pupo D'Andrea, 2008;

70
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Marbán Flores, 2005; Mili & Rodríguez Zúñiga, 2001). Implementing QMS/CQMS that meet
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71 the requirements defined by these standards is crucial to the survival and competitiveness of
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72 olive oil enterprises (Marbán Flores, 2005).

73 This study focuses on the ISO 9001:2008 standard. This is part of the ISO 9000 family
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74 on quality management, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization

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75 (ISO). The ISO 9000 family provides guidance and tools for enterprises and organizations

76 who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customer requirements
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77 and that quality is consistently improved (ISO, 2015). The ISO 9001 standard sets out the

78 requirements of a QMS and is the only standard in the family that can be certified by third-
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79 party certification bodies. ISO 9001 can be implemented by any organization, large or small,

80 regardless of its field of activity, and it is one of the most widely internationally recognised

81 standards (Psomas & Fotopoulos, 2010; Tricker, 2010). The ISO 9001 standard is being

82 updated, and ISO 9001:2015 is due to be published by the end of September 2015 (ISO,

83 2015).

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84 The international literature on ISO 9001 in the olive agri-food sector has covered

85 diverse topics such as demand/awareness of the standard by olive oil consumers (Galluzzo,

86 2007), the viability of ISO 9001 implementation as a market strategy for olive cooperatives

87 (Marbán Flores, 2005; Maza, et al., 2009; Montegut Salla, 2006; Montegut Salla, et al., 2007)

88 and the influence of ISO 9000 implementation on olive oil quality (Vilar Hernández, 2003;

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89 Vilar Hernández, et al., 2009). However, the factors conditioning the implementation of ISO

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90 9001 (i.e., the implementation of QMS meeting the requirements of ISO 9001) in the

91 Andalusian olive oil industry, and whether or not the implementation of this ISO standard is

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92 related to the use of different, and in any sense better, manufacturing and marketing practices,

93 remain largely unexplored.

94
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With all this in mind, the objectives of this research are: 1) to define the factors
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95 conditioning the implementation of ISO 9001 in the Andalusian olive oil industry (whether it
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96 is certified or not), i.e. to identify the distinctive characteristics of the ISO 9001 industries and

97 of their managerial and supervisory staff that can explain the implementation of QMS
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98 meeting the requirements of ISO 9001; and 2) to examine whether or not the implementation
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99 of ISO 9001 by olive oil industries is associated with the use of different (and to any extent

100 better) manufacturing and marketing practices, as compared to non-ISO 9001 industries.
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101 Manufacturing and marketing practices, and the goodness of these practices, will be defined

102 in the next section ‘Terms and definitions’. The final aim of this study is to generate insights
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103 for the design of public and private policies and strategies to foster the implementation of ISO

104 9001 across Andalusian olive oil industries and to improve the manufacturing and marketing

105 practices used by those that have already implemented the ISO 9001 standard.

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107 2 Terms and definitions

108

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109 - Manufacturing practices are considered here as those that relate to the elaboration of olive

110 oil in the enterprise, from the reception of the olives to the management of the by-

111 products.

112 - Marketing practices are those related to the sale of olive oil, including the four main

113 components of the marketing mix (distribution, promotion, price and product).

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114 - The goodness of manufacturing practices is measured by the degree to which the good

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115 practices put forward by the Integrated Production (IP) system are implemented. IP is

116 regulated in Andalusia by the Order of 12 June 2013 (BOJA no.117), and it includes

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117 manufacturing practices that are recognised as optimal from a technical, economic and/or

118 environmental perspective (Hinojosa-Rodríguez, et al., 2014; Martínez-Torres, 2004;

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Stroosnijder, et al., 2008). IP is a part of broader concepts such as sustainable agriculture
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120 and environmentally friendly, responsible management of natural resources.
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121 - The goodness of marketing practices is measured by the degree to which innovative and

122 widely recommended marketing and business strategies are implemented. Good industrial
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123 practices are spread between different documents, mainly grey literature and usually in
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124 Spanish. Therefore, it is very difficult to refer them to specific documents. In any case,

125 they are good practices according the mainstream economic theory.
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127 3 Methodology
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128

129 The empirical work for this study is based on interviews with the managerial and

130 supervisory staff members of 101 olive oil enterprises (one staff member per enterprise) in the

131 main olive-growing provinces of Andalusia, which are Jaen, Cordoba and Granada (IEA,

132 2012a, 2012b). The survey was carried out by two trained technical assistants, who have

133 possess an in-depth knowledge of and are in close contact with the olive oil sector. First-hand

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134 research was conducted from May 2010 to February 2011 via face-to-face interviews based

135 on a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was previously validated jointly by the

136 authors of this manuscript and the technical assistants. The survey sample was randomly

137 stratified in proportion to the number of olive oil enterprises in five major homogeneous

138 olive-growing zones, which were previously clustered in order to facilitate the

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139 implementation of the survey. As 101 of a total of 697 registered olive oil enterprises (AAO,

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140 2010) were interviewed, a sampling error of 6.32% for extreme proportions (p=0.9 and q=0.1)

141 and of 10.54% for intermediate proportions (p=q=0.5) is assumed for dichotomous variables

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142 at a 95% confidence level for the whole sample. The distribution between ISO 9001 and non-

143 ISO 9001 interviewees was random. Information on 11 ISO 9001 and 90 non-ISO 9001 olive

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oil industries was gathered. The ‘SPSS Statistics 22’ software was used for statistical
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145 calculations.
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146 Two analyses were carried out, in line with the two objectives of the research. The

147 data gathered and the methods followed for each analysis are as follows:
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148 1. Analysis 1. Factors conditioning the implementation of ISO 9001:

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149 1.1. Data gathered: (1) Personal characteristics, attitudes and opinions of managerial and

150 supervisory staff of ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises, including age, sex,
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151 education level and position in the company, engagement in R&D (Research &

152 Development), the innovation sources they use, their objectives in production and
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153 innovation, the difficulties they face with regard to innovation, and R&D priorities;

154 and (2) Structural characteristics of ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises, such as

155 the type of enterprise, legal status, size and turnover, principal activities, and main

156 suppliers and customers.

157 1.2. Method of analysis: Bivariate statistical analysis between the implementation of ISO

158 9001 and the characteristics of each enterprise and of its managerial and supervisory

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159 staff. Significantly different characteristics are the factors conditioning the

160 implementation of ISO 9001. Statistical tests are based on: (1) Fisher’s exact test for

161 contingent tables (Upton, 1992), when degree of freedom (d.f.) = 1; (2) Pearson χ2 for

162 contingent tables (Rhoades & Overall, 1982), when d.f.>1; and (3) χ2 for bivariate

163 logit (Amemiya, 1974), when proof for contingent tables is not statistically reliable.

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164 More complex multivariate statistical analyses were not carried out due to the limited

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165 size of the sample.

166 2. Analysis 2. Manufacturing and marketing practices associated with ISO 9001:

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167 2.1. Data gathered: (1) Manufacturing practices, covering the reception and storage of

168 olives, oil extraction, storage, bottling/canning and transport, quality and hygiene

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control, and management of by-products and residues; and (2) Marketing practices,
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170 related to distribution, promotion, price and product strategies.
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171 2.2. Method of analysis: Bivariate statistical analysis between the implementation of ISO

172 9001 and the manufacturing and marketing practices used by the olive oil industry.
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173 Significantly different practices are the practices associated with ISO 9001. Statistical
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174 tests are the same as for the factors conditioning the implementation of ISO 9001.

175
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176 4 Results
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178 4.1 Factors conditioning the implementation of ISO 9001

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180 According to our results, ISO 9001 is implemented by 10.8% of the olive oil

181 enterprises analysed. In the next two subsections, the factors conditioning its implementation

182 are analysed.

183

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184 4.1.1 Personal characteristics, attitudes and opinions of managerial and supervisory staff

185

186 There are few significant differences between the personal characteristics of the

187 managerial and supervisory staff of ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises. The only clear

188 difference is age, as staff members in ISO 9001 enterprises tend to be younger. Hence 39.8%

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189 of the managerial and supervisory staff members in ISO 9001 enterprises are 18 to 35 years

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190 old, versus 12.7% of members of non-ISO 9001 enterprises (Table 1). With regards to their

191 other characteristics, significant difference is not observed between ISO 9001 and non-ISO

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192 9001 staff. The majority of these respondents are managers (more than 33.2% in both cases)

193 and members of the management team (>13.2%), with no significant variations between ISO

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9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises. In general, they are mostly men (>87.7%), and their level
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195 of education is mainly primary or secondary level (>41.9%) and Bachelor level graduates
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196 (>30.3%).

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198 (Insert here Table 1)

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199

200 With respect to their attitudes and opinions some significant differences arose.
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201 Although their participation in R&D is very low in both cases (more than 94.0% of olive oil

202 enterprises do not participate in any regional, national or EU plan), staff members of ISO
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203 9001 make more use of the Internet (79.2% of ISO 9001 vs. 31.6% of non-ISO 9001

204 enterprises) and universities and higher education centres (32.4% vs. 2.7%) as look to them as

205 sources of innovation in manufacturing and marketing practices, QMS, and the olive oil

206 business in general (Table 1). The other sources used are similar in both cases. Hence they

207 both mainly rely on their suppliers (>79.1%), on conferences, fairs and exhibitions (>66.3%),

208 and on professional and sectorial associations (>39.7%). These sources highlight the

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209 importance of personal contact and proximity for fostering innovation. They also use

210 newspapers, radio and television as sources (>41.9%) and, to a lesser extent, public research

211 organisations (>22.8%). There is no dedicated R&D department in any of the enterprises

212 surveyed. With regard to the objectives that innovation should pursue, these are mostly

213 related to economic issues such as lowering labour costs per unit of product (>13.2% in both

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214 cases), and increasing olive oil quality (>13.2%). When it comes to fostering respect for the

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215 environment, and improving work, sanitary and safety conditions, these are not perceived as

216 important objectives for innovation in either ISO 9000 or non-ISO 9000 enterprises. The main

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217 factor hindering innovation is financial in both cases: lack of funds within the enterprise itself

218 (>47.1%). In both cases, the most popular research topic is related to technical issues:

219
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biotechnology for uncovering fraudulent mixtures of oils (>71.2%). Surprisingly, research
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220 into new markets, demand analysis and marketing are not considered very relevant.
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221 In terms of distinctive aspects, the preponderance of financial concerns is lower for the

222 managerial and supervisory staff of ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises than for non-ISO 9001
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223 ones. Thus they attribute less importance to economic profit (cited by 73.4% of ISO 9001 as
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224 an area of major importance vs. 94.4% of non-ISO 9001) and to keeping risk levels low

225 (41.4% of ISO 9001 vs. 61.0% of non-ISO 9001). Other issues are also very important to
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226 managerial and supervisory staff, to a similar extent for both types of industries, such as

227 producing safe products (>72.0% in both cases), personal prestige (>66.7%) and respecting
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228 the environment (>64.2%).

229

230 4.1.2 Structural characteristics of olive oil enterprises

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232 There are few significant differences between the structural characteristics of ISO

233 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises. Most of the enterprises are, in both cases, first degree

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234 cooperative mills (>45.5%) and independent olive oil mills (>43.8%) (Table 2). They are

235 mainly located in rural areas (>64.4%). Their legal status is commonly in the form of

236 cooperative societies (>45.5%), private limited companies (>22.1%) and public limited

237 companies (>10.7%). With regard to size, on average, olive oil enterprises are of a small to

238 medium size, both in terms of 1) number of employees: >48.4% have up to 9 employees and

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239 >26.9% have 10-49 employees; and 2) annual turnover: less than 2 million Euros per year for

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240 >48.4% of them, and 2-10 million Euros per year for >19.2%. ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001

241 enterprises are also similar when it comes to the type of olive oil they produce, this being

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242 mainly extra-virgin olive oil (>99.1% in both cases), virgin olive oil (>86.8%) and ‘lampante’

243 olive oil (>86.8%). Their main customers are also similar: canning and bottling industries

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(>46.8%) and wholesalers at destination (>14.8%), mainly located in Andalusia (>51.3%) and
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245 other regions of Spain (>26.6%). Few main customers are located abroad (less than 13.2%).
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246

247 (Insert here Table 2)

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248
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249 One significant difference between ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises is the list

250 of their main activities. Although pressing olives and bottling/canning olive oil are carried out
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251 to a similar degree by most enterprises (100.0% for pressing olives and >79.5% for

252 bottling/canning in both cases), certain activities are undertaken to a lesser extent by ISO
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253 9001 enterprises, such as wholesaling at origin (53.2% of ISO 9001 vs. 93.5% of non-ISO

254 9001 industries) and storage of the olive oil (66.3% vs. 94.6%).

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256 4.2 Manufacturing and marketing practices associated with ISO 9001

257

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258 4.2.1 Manufacturing practices

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260 Manufacturing practices implemented by ISO 9001 enterprises are very similar to

261 those of non-ISO 9001. In general, all enterprises in both cases demonstrate a wide use of

262 optimal practices for the reception, processing and storage of olives; paste preparation,

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263 pressing and extraction; olive oil extraction; olive oil storage, bottling and transport; and

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264 control of quality and hygiene (Table 3). This indicates that there is wide diffusion in the

265 Andalusian olive oil industry of the latest technological innovations that result in the

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266 production of higher-quality olive oil. Good practices (according to IP), which are evenly

267 widespread in both ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises, are as follows: differentiation of

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olives from the ground and from trees (>84.7% in both cases), systematic cleaning of storage
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269 containers (>86.8%) and a system for checking the ripeness and quality of olives (>83.7%);
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270 control of temperature and beating time (100.0%), constant cleaning of mills, pipes and

271 mixers, using only hot water under pressure (>92.6%), control of washing water (>92.6%),
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272 ensuring that the water temperature is below 35ºC (>86.8%) and pressing fruit within 24
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273 hours of reception (>85.0%); extraction of olive oil through a continuous two-phase system

274 (>92.6%); separate olive oil stores according to quality (>99.1%), systematic and constant
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275 cleaning of olive oil tanks, pipes and warehouses (>86.8%) and bottling machinery made of

276 stainless steel that is easy to clean (>86.8%). The only significant differences between
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277 manufacturing practices in the two types of enterprises are a higher use of by-products from

278 olive oil extraction as animal feed (20.5% in ISO 9001 vs. 0.0% in non-ISO 9001) and

279 surprisingly, less frequent phytosanitary analysis in ISO 9001 enterprises (66.3% vs. 94.8%

280 for the non-ISO 9001). In any case, both types of enterprise stick to quality and hygiene

281 control standards, with training of warehouse staff on good practices of hygiene and handling

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282 (>77.6% in both cases), analysis for olive oil characterisation (>79.5%) and the existence of a

283 Quality Control Department (>60.0%).

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285 (Insert here Table 3)

286

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287 There are also a few practices that should be improved in both types of enterprises,

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288 such as the management of by-products and debris. Many enterprises store the waste-water in

289 evaporation ponds (more than 74.8% in both cases), with is associated with environmental

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290 pollution and bad smells, instead of purifying the waste-water in sewage treatment plants

291 located elsewhere (less than 21.3%) or within the olive mill (<6.4%). With regard to by-

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products, few enterprises use them as fertilizer (<20.5%), despite the fact that this is generally
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293 recommended.
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294

295 4.2.2 Marketing practices

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296
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297 Some important differences arise when comparing the marketing practices

298 implemented by ISO 9001 versus non-ISO 9001 enterprises (Table 4). Although most of the
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299 main channels used to distribute the olive oil produced are similar in both cases, such as the

300 direct sale of bulk olive oil (100.0% in both ISO-9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises) and the
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301 direct sale of bottled olive oil (>79.5%), the use of ICT (Information and Communication

302 Technologies), such as e-commerce, web pages, etc., is significantly more frequent in ISO

303 9001 enterprises (86.8% vs. 57.2% for non-ISO enterprises). Sales via other distribution

304 channels such as superstores, supermarkets, specialised shops, etc., are less frequent in both

305 types of enterprise (less than 53.2% in both cases). Horizontal and vertical integration with

306 other industries into second degree cooperatives is also very scarce (<13.0% in both cases).

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307

308 (Insert here Table 4)

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310 In the promotion of olive oil, the marketing strategies employed, in both cases and

311 with no significant differences, are focused on quality (more than 79.5% of olive oil

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312 enterprises) and price (>66.9%). Carrying out promotion campaigns and participating in fresh

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313 food fairs is not very common in either case (less than 20.8%) and combination with other

314 products and brands is a practice which is implemented even less (<6.0%). One distinctive

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315 characteristic is the diversification of the type of olive oil sold (especially based on quality),

316 which is significantly higher in ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises (100.0% vs. 69.3% of non-ISO

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9001). The rest of the marketing practices related to the product are similar in both types of
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318 enterprise. It is interesting to note that some practices are hardly ever used, such as the
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319 elaboration of alternative products (<7.4% in both cases), and fraud control (<3.6%). The

320 joint implementation of ISO 9001 and Integrated Production or Organic Agriculture labelling
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321 is not very common in either case (<6%).

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323 5 Discussion
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324

325 5.1 Implementation of ISO 9001

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326

327 The results show a limited level of implementation of ISO 9001 (i.e., implementation

328 of QMS meeting the requirements of ISO 9001) within the olive oil industry in Andalusia,

329 which is mainly composed of SMEs (small and medium enterprises), in line with previous

330 research (Karipidis, et al., 2009). The implementation of ISO 9001 may be a challenging task

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331 for companies, especially SMEs (Tricker, 2010), and is often considered very complicated

332 (Karipidis, et al., 2009) or even a cause of dissatisfaction (Rodriguez-Escobar, et al., 2006).

333 According to our results, the managerial and supervisory staff members of ISO 9001

334 Andalusian olive enterprises seem to be more dynamic than those of non-ISO 9001

335 enterprises: they are younger, more highly educated, make greater use of the Internet,

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336 universities and higher education centres as sources of information, and are more willing to

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337 take risks as entrepreneurs – they are also less focused on economic profit. These

338 characteristics have also been identified in early adopters of alternative farming practices such

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339 as organic agriculture (Lapple & Van Rensburg, 2011; Parra-López & Calatrava-Requena,

340 2005), and confirm the incipient state of the diffusion of ISO 9001 in the Andalusian olive

341
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sector. Moreover, ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises seem to be more agile: they are more
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342 oriented towards selling olive oil further and faster to the next agents in the agri-food chain,
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343 since they wholesale at origin and store less. This is in line with the greater orientation

344 towards international markets of enterprises implementing ISO 9001 (Jatib, 2003;
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345 Maldonado-Siman, et al., 2014).

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346 As a limitation of the work carried out, it is necessary to acknowledge that the research

347 was focused on the personal characteristics and attitudes/opinions of supervisory and
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348 managerial staff members and on some of the structural characteristics of the enterprises

349 themselves. Some classical factors conditioning the implementation of ISO 9001, more
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350 related with the internal functioning of each enterprise, were not deeply analysed or not

351 analysed at all, such as each enterprise’s quality policies, the commitment of senior

352 management staff, the level of automation/computerization, financial support, training policy,

353 responsibilities and authorities, scope of documentation, etc. (Karipidis, et al., 2009; López

354 Rodríguez, et al., 2009; Maza, et al., 2009). The study of these internal factors remains

355 pending for future research.

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356

357 5.2 Manufacturing and marketing practices

358

359 The results demonstrate that, in general, good manufacturing practices (according to

360 Integrated Production) are widespread in the Andalusian olive oil industry. This is a direct

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361 reflection of the extraordinary technological advances achieved in the Andalusian olive sector

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362 since the early 90s (Alburquerque, et al., 2004), which led to optimal production and storage

363 structures (Moyano Fuentes, et al., 2002). In any case, according to our results, the

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364 manufacturing practices used by Andalusian ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises are for the most

365 part equal to or better than those of non-ISO 9001 enterprises, which is in line with previous

366
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research conducted in the region (Vilar Hernández, 2003; Vilar Hernández, et al., 2009).
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367 Regarding marketing practices, the differences are clearer according to the results. ISO 9001
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368 industries are more reliant on the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies),

369 which facilitates the selling of the product beyond the local market. ICT has been identified as
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370 a key enabler for supply chain integration in the olive agri-food sector (Baourakis & Stroe,
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371 2002). A greater diversification of olive oil based on quality has also been detected, which is

372 an ever increasing demand in the marketplace (Anania & Pupo D'Andrea, 2008).
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373

374 5.3 Policy implications, by way of conclusions

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375

376 The distinctive characteristics of the staff members and enterprises implementing ISO

377 9001 identified are factors that condition its implementation. These factors could serve to

378 guide the design of public and private agri-food policies and strategies to foster the spread of

379 the ISO standard. For instance in defining the profile of potential ISO 9001 implementers to

380 be targeted for training and incentivisation (younger, highly educated, more willing to take

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
381 risks as entrepreneurs and less focused on economic profit) and in the use of appropriate

382 channels to engage them (Internet, universities and higher education centres). These results,

383 moreover, highlight the importance of policies to encourage rejuvenation and promote formal

384 education in the olive agri-food sector.

385 Apart from these distinctive characteristics, the profiles of managerial and supervisory

PT
386 staff members of ISO 9001 and non-ISO 9001 enterprises are similar and this must also be

RI
387 taken into account in policy design. Thus the results highlight the importance of personal

388 contact and the proximity of sources of inspiration for innovation. This indicates that training

SC
389 and information programmes for managerial and supervisory staff based on successful ISO

390 9001 olive oil enterprises could be a highly appropriate policy to further encourage the uptake

391
U
of this ISO standard. The lack of suitable training or educational programmes is one important
AN
392 factor hampering the implementation of QMS (Karipidis, et al., 2009). The role of public and
M

393 private R&D organisations should be reinforced in this respect, by providing staff members

394 with training or educational programs, and by acting as a link between potential new
D

395 implementers and successful ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises which can serve as an example to
TE

396 follow. Networking with government bodies and academic institutions and fact-based

397 decision-making should be reinforced, since they are highlighted as critical success factors for
EP

398 implementing QMS in SMEs (Kumar, et al., 2014).

399 Proving that the costs associated with ISO 9001 implementation in the olive oil
C
AC

400 industry can be recovered in the medium to long-term should be a priority for future research,

401 since, as our results indicate, economic and financial issues are the highest priority for

402 managerial and supervisory staff. Similarly specific information is needed on the awareness,

403 acceptance and demand of ISO 9001 olive oil in national and international markets and

404 consumers’ willingness to pay, since the lack of market acceptance is a major obstacle (Fan,

405 et al., 2009). Improved access to credit, which is a structural problem in the sector cited by

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
406 interviewees (Montegut Salla, 2006), would probably stimulate the implementation of ISO

407 9001. In any case, given the significant costs and resources involved, it is crucial for

408 managers to assess the extent to which the implementation of ISO 9001 might benefit their

409 performance before embarking on the implementation process. In general, enterprises with

410 low technology intensity, low labour productivity and high labour intensity reap more benefit

PT
411 from ISO 9001 implementation (Lo, et al., 2013).

RI
412 The results also highlight that ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises need to put certain

413 marketing strategies into practice involving greater collaboration and vertical integration with

SC
414 the large-scale retail trade, with the aim of being active players in commercial negotiations,

415 allowing them to set prices at a level which offsets the costs and encourages consumers to

416
U
value food quality more highly (Galluzzo, 2007). In this respect, the public administration
AN
417 should promote mutually beneficial solutions, taking into consideration the imbalance of
M

418 power between most olive oil enterprises, which are SMEs, and the large packaging groups

419 and retailer labels. Additionally, if the policy aim is the development of better marketing
D

420 practices, the results highlight that ISO 9001 enterprises should put into practice a deeper
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421 horizontal integration with other industries in the olive agri-food chain, more innovative

422 combinations with other products, more robust implementation of techniques to avoid fraud,
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423 and a promotion strategy more closely tuned to potential consumers.

424
C
AC

425

426 Acknowledgments

427

428 We would like to thank the Spanish Institute for Agricultural Research and

429 Technology (INIA), the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the

430 ECOINNOLI project (RTA2008-00024), and the Andalusian Ministry of Innovation, Science

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
431 and Employment through the Regional Excellence Project P11-AGR-7431 for their financial

432 support.

433

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576 TABLES
577
578 Table 1. Personal characteristics, attitudes and opinions of managers and supervisory
579 staff in ISO 9001 vs. non-ISO 9001 olive oil enterprises
Absolute frequencies and percentages ⁽⁺⁾
Correlation⁽⁺⁾
ISO 9001 Non-ISO 9001 χ2 (d.f) / p (sign.)
Fisher
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

PT
Position in the enterprise 0.047(1) 0.829(n.s.)
- Manager 4(34.0) 30(33.2)
- Member of the management team 3(26.3) 12(13.2)
- President 0(0.0) 8(8.7)
- Technical personnel 1(7.4) 10(10.8)

RI
- Other 4(32.4) 31(34.1)
Age 6.563(1) 0.010(**)
- 18-25 1(13.2) 0(0.0)
- 26-35 3(26.6) 11(12.7)

SC
- 36-45 2(20.5) 23(26.2)
- 46-55 4(39.7) 36(41.1)
- 56-65 0(0.0) 16(18.1)
- More 65 0(0.0) 2(1.8)
Sex F 0.262(n.s.)

U
- Male 11(100.0) 79(87.7)
- Female 0(0.0) 11(12.3)
Education level 1.094(1) 0.296(n.s.)
AN
- No studies 0(0.0) 6(6.4)
- Vocational training 0(0.0) 10(11.4)
- Primary education 1(13.2) 25(28.0)
- Secondary education 4(33.7) 12(13.9)
- 4(34.0) 27(30.3)
M

Graduate – Bachelor’s or equivalent

- Graduate – Master’s or equivalent 2(19.2) 9(10.0)
ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS
Participation in R&D plans
- Regional plans (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.207(n.s.)
D

- R&D national plan and other national 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 3(3.2)/87(96.8) F 0.705(n.s.)

plans (y/n)
- EU plans (y/n) 1(0.0)/11(100.0) 2(2.7)/88(97.3) F 0.793(n.s.)
TE

- Other international plans (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c

Innovation sources in the enterprise
- Suppliers (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 71(79.1)19(20.9) F 0.313(n.s.)
- Internet (y/n) 9(79.2)/2(20.8) 28(31.6)/62(68.4) F 0.002(**)
- Conferences, fairs, exhibitions, etc. 7(66.3)/4(33.7) 65(72.6)/25(27.4) F 0.391(n.s.)
EP

(y/n)
- Newspapers, radio and television (y/n) 5(48.4)/6(51.6) 38(41.9)/52(58.1) F 0.542(n.s.)
- Professional and sector associations 4(39.7)/7(60.3) 44(48.4)/46(51.6) F 0.323(n.s.)
(y/n)
- 4(32.4)/7(67.6) 2(2.7)/88(97.3) F 0.001(*)
C

Universities, higher education centres

(y/n)
- Public research organisations (y/n) 3(26.6)/8(73.4) 20(22.8)/70(77.2) F 0.479(n.s.)
AC

- Customers (y/n) 2(20.5)9(79.5) 5(5.2)/85(94.8) F 0.167(n.s.)

- Scientific journals and publications 2(14.8)/9(85.2) 5(6.1)/85(93.9) F 0.167(n.s.)
(y/n)
- Competitors or other enterprises with 1(13.4)/9(86.6) 4(4.9)/86(95.1) F 0.416(n.s.)
the same activity (y/n)
- Consultants, commercial laboratories, 1(13.2)/10(86.8) 1(1.6)/89(98.4) F 0.207(n.s.)
private R&D institutes (y/n)
- Technological centres (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
- R&D department (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c
- Other sources (y/n) 2(19.2)/9(80.8) 27(30.5)/63(69.5) F 0.334(n.s.)
Objectives of innovation 0.362(1) 0.547(n.s.)
- Greater production capacity 5(45.8) 6(6.3)
- Greater market share and entering new 2(20.5) 7(7.7)
markets
- Lower labour costs per unit of product 1(13.2) 33(36.7)
- Greater olive oil quality 1(13.2) 8(8.5)
- Replacement of old processes and 1(7.4) 21(23.8)

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
products
- Lower energy consumption per unit of 0(0.0) 7(7.6)
olive oil produced
- Fostering respect for the environment 0(0.0) 6(6.3)
- Improving work conditions 0(0.0) 1(1.6)
- Improving health and safety conditions 0(0.0) 1(1.6)
Factors that hinder innovation 0.045(1) 0.831(n.s.)
- Lack of in-enterprise funds 5(47.1) 42(47.5)
- Lack of ex-enterprise funds 3(26.3) 8(8.7)
- Costs too high 1(7.4) 31(35.0)
- Other cost factors 1(13.2) 5(5.6)
- Dominance of established enterprises 0(0.0) 2(2.4)
- Lack of qualified staff 1(6.0) 0(0.0)

PT
- Other knowledge factors 0(0.0) 1(0.7)
Priorities when producing
- Obtaining safe products 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/0(0.0) 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/0(0.0) 0.382(1) 0.537(n.s.)
(None/low/medium/high/very high) /2(19.5)/9(80.5) /25(28.0)/65(72.0)

RI
- Economic profit 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/2(20.5)/1(6. 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/0(0.0) 7.671(1) 0.006(**)
(None/low/medium/high/very high) 0)/8(73.4) /5(5.6)/85(94.4)
- Personal prestige 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/1(13.4) 0(0.0)/1(0.7)/1(0.7)/29(31.8)/60(66.7) 0.069(1) 0.793(n.s.)
(None/low/medium/high/very high) /1(13.4)/ 8(73.2)
- Respect for the environment 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/1(7.4) 0(0.0)/1(0.7)/3(3.1) 0.000(1) 0.988(n.s.)

SC
(None/low/medium/high/very high) /3(25.2)/7(67.4) /29(32.0)/58(64.2)
- Keeping risk levels low 0(0.0)/3(26.3)/1(6.0) 0(0.0)/0(0.0)/4(3.9) 8.573(1) 0.003(**)
(None/low/medium/high/very high) /3(26.6)/4(41.4) /32(35.1)/55(61.0)
Demanded research topics 0.002(1) 1.000(n.s.)
- Biotechnology for determination of 8(73.2) 64(71.2)

U
fraud by mixture of oils
- Use of extra virgin olive oil as a 1(13.4) 2(2.4)
AN
substitute for other fats in the diet
- Olive oil and cancer 1(7.4) 0(0.0)
- New olive leaf products 1(6.0) 1(0.9)
- Detection of fraud by mixing 0(0.0) 6(6.8)
‘deodorised’ olive oil with virgin olive
oil
M

- Olive oil in non-traditional consumer 0(0.0) 6(6.1)

countries
- Determination of pollutants in olive 0(0.0) 5(5.9)
oil. Regulation of pesticides
D

- Differentiation factors of olive oil: the 0(0.0) 2(2.5)

role of marketing
- Rules for olive oil tasting 0(0.0) 2(1.8)
TE

- Potential demand for new products 0(0.0) 1(0.9)

that contain olive oil and demand of
by-products
- Consumer behaviour in the 0(0.0) 1(0.7)
international markets
EP

- Olive oil micro-components and their 0(0.0) 1(0.7)

influence on health
580 ⁽⁺⁾Fisher’s exact test for contingent tables when degree of freedom (d.f.)=1; Pearson χ2 for contingent tables when d.f.>1; χ2 for bivariate
581 logit when proof for contingent tables is not statistically reliable. Significance (sign.): ** p≤0.01; * 0.01<p≤0.05; n.s.=not significant; y/n =
582 yes/no; F = Fisher’s exact test; c = Constant variable, so no statistics calculated.
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583
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584 Table 2. Structural characteristics of ISO 9001 vs. non-ISO 9001 olive oil industries
Absolute frequencies and percentages ⁽⁺⁾
Correlation⁽⁺⁾
ISO 9001 Non-ISO 9001 χ2 (d.f) / p (sign.)
Fisher
Type of enterprise
- Independent mills (y/n) 6(54.5)/5(45.5) 39(43.8)/51(56.2) F 0.348(n.s.)
- First degree cooperative mills (y/n) 5(45.5)/6(54.5) 45(50.0)/45(50.0) F 0.514(n.s.)
- Canning and bottling industries (y/n) 1(13.4)/9(86.6) 1(1.6)/89(98.4) F 0.191(n.s.)
- Oil extraction industries (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
- Second degree cooperative mills (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 6(6.3)/84(93.7) F 0.491(n.s.)
- Refineries (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c
- Refineries-bottling industries (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c

PT
Legal status 0.038(1) 0.845(n.s.)
- Cooperative society 5(45.5) 51(57.0)
- Private limited company 2(22.1) 25(27.3)
- Public limited company 2(19.2) 10(10.7)

RI
- Agricultural Transformation Society 1(13.2) 1(0.9)
- Community of assets 0(0.0) 2(2.5)
- Group society 0(0.0) 1(0.9)
- Others 0(0.0) 1(0.7)

SC
Location F 0.335(n.s.)
- Rural area 7(77.9) 57(64.4)
- Urban area 2(22.1) 32(35.6)
Size
Nº employees: 2.485(1) 0.115(n.s.)

U
- Up to 9 5(48.4) 64(71.5)
- 10-49 5(45.5) 24(26.9)
- 50-249 1(6.0) 1(1.6)
AN
- 250 or more 0(0.0) 0(0.0)
Annual turnover (million €/year): 2.345(1) 0.126(n.s.)
- Up to 2 5(48.4) 44(52.2)
- More than 2 to 10 2(19.2) 37(43.6)
- More than 10 to 50 4(32.4) 4(4.2)
M

- More than 50 0(0.0) 0(0.0)

Main activities
- Pressing olives (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 90(100.0)/0(0.0) F c
- Bottling/canning of olive oil (y/n) 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 73(81.2)/17(18.8) F 0.659(n.s.)
D

- Storing (y/n) 7(66.3)/4(33.7) 85(94.6)/5(5.4) F 0.008(**)

- Wholesaling at origin (y/n) 6(53.2)/5(46.8) 84(93.5)/6(6.5) F 0.002(**)
- Refining of olive oil (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 8(8.6)/82(91.4) F 0.384(n.s.)
TE

- Others (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)

Type of olive oil produced or marketed
- Extra-virgin olive oil (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 89(99.1)/1(0.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
- Virgin olive oil (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 90(100.0)/0(0.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
- Lampante olive oil (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 88(98.2)/2(1.8) F 0.295(n.s.)
EP

- Olive oil (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 13(14.7)/77(85.3) F 0.201(n.s.)

- Olive pomace oil (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
- Crude olive pomace oil (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
Main customers 1.709(1) 0.191(n.s.)
- Canning and bottling industries 5(46.8) 67(74.8)
C

- Wholesaling at destination 4(34.0) 13(14.8)

- Retailers 1(13.2) 7(7.9)
AC

- Refineries-bottling industries 1(6.0) 0(0.0)

- Oil extraction industries 0(0.0) 1(0.9)
- Centralised buyers 0(0.0) 1(0.9)
- Distribution platforms 0(0.0) 1(0.7)
Main location of customers 1.584(3) 0.663(n.s.)
- Andalusia 7(60.3) 43(51.3)
- The rest of Spain 3(26.6) 35(41.9)
- Other EU countries 1(13.2) 5(5.9)
- Other non-EU countries 0(0.0) 1(1.0)
585 ⁽⁺⁾Fisher’s exact test for contingent tables when degree of freedom (d.f.)=1; Pearson χ2 for contingent tables when d.f.>1; χ2 for bivariate
586 logit when proof for contingent tables is not statistically reliable. Significance (sign.): ** p≤ 0.01; * 0.01<p≤0.05; n.s. = not significant; y/n
587 = yes/no; F = Fisher’s exact test; c = Constant variable, so no statistics calculated.

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588 Table 3. Manufacturing practices implemented by ISO 9001 vs. non-ISO 9001 olive oil
589 enterprises
Absolute frequencies and ⁽⁺⁾
Correlation⁽⁺⁾
percentages
ISO 9001 Non-ISO 9001 χ2 (d.f) / p (sign.)
Fisher
Reception, processing and storage of olives
- Differentiation of olives from soil and tree (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 76(84.7)/14(15.3) F 0.176(n.s.)
- Systematic cleaning of storage containers (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 83(92.0)/7(8.0) F 0.616(n.s.)
- System for checking ripeness and quality of produce entering 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 75(83.7)/15(16.3) F 0.449(n.s.)
the mill (y/n)

PT
- Right reception containers for fruit circulation, of a capacity 8(73.4)/3(26.6) 85(93.9)/6(6.1) F 0.055(n.s.)
below 20 tonnes (y/n)
- Evacuation of waste materials in specific containers for this 5(48.4)/6(51.6) 39(42.9)/51(57.1) F 0.570(n.s.)
purpose, which are cleaned periodically (y/n)
- Regular cleaning of olive boxes with products authorised by the 4(33.7)/7(66.3) 39(43.8)/51(56.2) F 0.458(n.s.)

RI
food industry (y/n)
- Others (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
Paste preparation, pressing and extraction
- Control of temperature and beating time (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 90(100.0)/0(0.0) F c

SC
- Constant cleaning of mills, pipes and mixer using only hot water 10(92.6)/1(7.4) 84(93.6)/6(6.4) F 0.566(n.s.)
under pressure (y/n)
- Control of washing water (y/n) 10(92.6)/1(7.4) 84(93.4)/6(6.6) F 0.566(n.s.)
- Pressing fruit within 24 hours of reception (y/n) 10(92.6)/1(7.4) 75(85.0)/13(15.0) F 0.517(n.s.)
- The water temperature for the extraction is below 35ºC (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 89(99.3)/1(0.7) F 0.207(n.s.)

U
- Others (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 1(0.7)/89(99.3) F 0.891(n.s.)
Olive oil extraction system
AN
- Continuous two-phases system (y/n) 10(92.6)/1(7.4) 90(100.0)/0(0.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
- Continuous three-phases system (y/n) 1(7.4)/10(92.6) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
- Discontinuous or traditional system (by press) (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.7)/89(99.3) F 0.891(n.s.)
Olive oil storage, bottling/canning and transport
- Separating stores according to quality (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 89(99.1)/1(0.9) F 0.891(n.s.)
M

- Systematic and constant cleaning of tanks, pipes and the 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 89(98.4)/1(1.6) F 0.207(n.s.)
warehouse (y/n)
- Bottling/canning machinery made of stainless steel that is easy 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 87(96.8)/3(3.2) F 0.374(n.s.)
to clean (y/n)
- Tanks and bottles/cans are exclusively used for olive oil and 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 83(92.0)/7(8.0) F 0.254(n.s.)
D

bottles/cans are not reused (y/n)

- Olive oil bottles, cans and packs are not in contact with the 8(73.7)/3(26.3) 83(92.0)/7(8.0) F 0.076(n.s.)
ground (y/n)
TE

- Others (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(1.6)/89(98.4) F 0.891(n.s.)

Quality and hygiene control
- Training of warehouse staff on good practices of hygiene and 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 70(77.6)/20(22.4) F 0.283(n.s.)
handling (y/n)
- Analysis for olive oil characterisation (y/n) 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 85(94.3)/5(5.7) F 0.167(n.s.)
EP

- Existence of a Quality Control Department (y/n) 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 54(60.0)/36(40.0) F 0.139(n.s.)

- Phytosanitary analysis (y/n) 7(66.3)/4(33.7) 85(94.8)/5(5.2) F 0.008(**)
- Others (y/n) 1(7.4)/10(92.6) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
Management of by-products and debris
C

Liquid debris: waste-water

- Storage in evaporation ponds (y/n) 10(94.0)/1(6.0) 67(74.8)/23(25.2) F 0.208(n.s.)
- Purification in a sewage treatment plant outside the olive mill 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 19(21.3)/71(78.7) F 0.088(n.s.)
AC

(y/n)
- Purification in the olive mill by means of incorporating the 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 6(6.4)/84(93.6) F 0.491(n.s.)
sewage treatment plant into the production system (y/n)
- Others (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(9.4) 3(3.2)/87(96.8) F 0.374(n.s.)
By-product: pomace, wet pomace
- Extraction of crude pomace olive oil (y/n) 7(67.4)/4(32.6) 61(68.0)/29(32.0) F 0.513(n.s.)
- As fuel (y/n) 4(40.0)/7(60.0) 26(29.4)/64(70.6) F 0.421(n.s.)
- As fertilizer (y/n) 2(20.5)/9(79.5) 2(1.8)/88(98.2) F 0.058(n.s.)
- As animal feed (y/n) 2(20.5)/9(79.5) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F 0.011(*)
- Others (y/n) 1(12.1)/10(87.9) 22(24.5)/68(75.5) F 0.231(n.s.)
590 ⁽⁺⁾Fisher’s exact test for contingent tables when degree of freedom (d.f.)=1; Pearson χ2 for contingent tables when d.f.>1; χ2 for bivariate
591 logit when proof for contingent tables is not statistically reliable. Significance (sign.): ** p≤0.01; * 0.01<p≤0.05; n.s. = not significant; y/n
592 = yes/no; F = Fisher’s exact test; c = Constant variable, so no statistics calculated.
593
594

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595 Table 4. Marketing practices implemented by ISO 9001 vs. non-ISO 9001 olive oil
596 enterprises
Absolute frequencies and ⁽⁺⁾
Correlation⁽⁺⁾
percentages
ISO 9001 Non-ISO 9001 χ2 (d.f) / p (sign.)
Fisher
Distribution
- Direct sale of bulk olive oil (y/n) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 89(100.0)/0(0.00) F c
- Use of ICT (e-commerce, web page, etc.) (y/n) 10(86.8)/1(13.2) 51(57.2)/39(42.8) F 0.025(*)
- Direct sale of bottled olive oil (y/n) 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 84(93.6)/6(6.4) F 0.210(n.s.)
- Sale via other distribution channels (superstores, supermarkets, 6(53.2)/5(46.8) 32(35.2)/58(64.8) F 0.184(n.s.)

PT
specialised shops, etc.) (y/n)
- Horizontal and vertical integration with other enterprises (e.g. 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 12(13.0)/78(87.0) F 0.230(n.s.)
in second degree cooperatives) (y/n)
- Others (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 1(0.9)/89(99.1) F 0.891(n.s.)
Promotion and price

RI
- Sales strategy based on quality (y/n) 9(79.5)/2(20.5) 81(90.4)/9(9.6) F 0.342(n.s.)
- Sales strategy based on price (y/n) 9(79.2)/2(20.8) 60(66.9)/30(33.1) F 0.257(n.s.)
- Promotion campaigns and participation in fresh food fairs 2(20.8)/9(79.2) 17(19.1)/73(80.9) F 0.659(n.s.)
(y/n)

SC
- Combination with other products and brands (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 1(1.6)/89(98.4) F 0.207(n.s.)
- Others (y/n) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c
Product
- Diversification of the type of olive oil (quality levels, etc.) 11(100.0)/0(0.0) 62(69.3)/28(30.7) F 0.022(*)
(y/n)

U
- Diversification of the bottle’s appearance (material, size, 7(66.3)/4(33.7) 75(82.7)/16(17.3) F 0.141(n.s.)
design, etc.) (y/n)
- Elaboration of alternative products (y/n) 1(7.4)/10(92.6) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F 0.109(n.s.)
AN
- Quality labelling: PDO (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 12(13.8)/78(86.2) F 0.571(n.s.)
- Quality labelling: Integrated production (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 3(3.1)/87(96.9) F 0.374(n.s.)
- Quality labelling: Organic agriculture (y/n) 1(6.0)/10(94.0) 2(2.2)/88(97.8) F 0.295(n.s.)
- Application of techniques to control fraud (mixtures, 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 3(3.6)/87(96.4) F 0.705(n.s.)
pollutants, etc.) (y/n)
M

- Combination with other foodstuffs (e.g. cheese in olive oil) 0(0.0)/11(100.0) 0(0.0)/90(100.0) F c
(y/n)
597 ⁽⁺⁾Fisher’s exact test for contingent tables when degree of freedom (d.f.)=1; Pearson χ2 for contingent tables when d.f.>1; χ2 for bivariate
598 logit when proof for contingent tables is not statistically reliable. Significance (sign.): ** p≤0.01; * 0.01<p≤ 0.05; n.s. = not significant; y/n
599
D

= yes/no; F = Fisher’s exact test; c = Constant variable, so no statistics calculated.

600
601
TE
C EP
AC

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HIGHLIGHTS

► ISO 9001 implementation can create a competitive advantage for agri-food enterprises; ►
ISO 9001 implementation in the Andalusian olive industry is led by dynamic enterprises and
managers; ►Policies for rejuvenation, formal education and training for managerial and
supervisory staff should be made a priority; ►New marketing and business strategies need to
be developed in the olive oil industry.

PT
RI
U SC
AN
M
D
TE
C EP
AC