Quality certification scheme in the construction industry of China

Compared with other industries, the construction industry is characterized by activities, which are discontinuous, dispersed, diverse and distinct. Quality management in the construction setting is, thus, more difficult. This paper aims to study the status of implementation of a quality certification scheme: ISO 9000:1994 in the construction industry of China and to unveil the motivation factors for contractors to implement the scheme in a planned economy environment. The study will evaluate contractors' experience in developing a quality assurance (QA) system, and collect contractors' views on its benefits, which may be different from findings of research in a market economy setting. An additional finding of the study indicates that most contractors of China in the study describe that the most effective quality management system is 'ISO 9000 integrated with Total Quality Management (TQM)'.