Barriers to ISO 9001 Implementation in Moroccan Organizations: Empirical Study

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore obstacles to ISO 9001 quality management system implementation in Moroccan firms. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey has been conducted among a heterogeneous sample of 200 organizations, operating in different sectors in Morocco, yielding a response rate of 57.5%. The authors have studied barriers to quality initiatives in general and obstacles to QMS implementation in particular through an extensive literature review. Questions related to profiles of respondents, reasons of seeking certification, external consultancy and barriers to ISO 9001 implementation experienced by surveyed organizations. For the purpose of this study, authors considered three categories of quality inhibiting factors: organizational, technical and costs related barriers. Findings: Results indicate that surveyed companies sought ISO 9001 certification mainly for marketing reasons and experienced many difficulties during the implementation process. Barriers reported by respondents were mostly organizational. Resistance to change headed the list according to participants’ opinion. Also, findings highlighted the prominence of bureaucracy and poor interdependence between departments in organizations. Lack of communication, poor top management commitment and insufficient trainings were also ascertained to be obstacles to QMS implementation in Morocco. Originality/value: Earlier studies were led by different researchers in different countries about barriers to quality initiatives in general and to ISO 9001 implementation in particular. Few of those studies were conducted in Arab speaking countries but no research has been carried in Morocco. This study on obstacles to QMS implementation in Morocco will help in completing the jigsaw of difficulties faced by organizations worldwide when preparing to ISO 9001 certification. Research limitations/implications: This research is limited by the geographic context of the study Morocco, although results can be extrapolated to Arab speaking countries in general. Practical implications: The findings of this paper provide Moroccan managers with a practical understanding of the factors that are likely to obstruct ISO 9001 QMS implementation. Managers should overcome these barriers to achieve a successful implementation and higher QMS performance.Peer Reviewe

Numerical modeling of copper macro-segregation in the binary alloy Al-4Cu

In this paper, the modeling of the solidification of Al-4Cu alloy was studied. The calculation code is developed to model the equiaxed globular solidification of the Al-4Cu alloy in a square mold. The mold walls are subjected to constant temperatures and the velocity components are equal to 0, the exchange coefficient ’H’ between the interface of the melt and the mold is estimated at 500 W/( m2 K) and the initial melt temperature ’T0’ is equal to 900 K. The resolution method used is finite differences, the upwind scheme for convective terms, and the space-centered scheme for diffusive terms. The calculated profiles are temperature, solid fraction, concentration and macro-segregation of copper. At the beginning of cooling, the solidification of the Al-4Cu alloy started in the four corners of the plate. The grains formed at the walls could not move in the studied surface. With cooling time, the solidification of the casting developed rapidly in the lower part; because, the grains formed away from the walls sedimented and accumulated in this part of the plate. On other hand, the liquid was located mainly in the upper part. The segregation of copper in the two-phase mixture is due to its continuous rejection from the solid to the liquid

Myrtle Leaves ( Myrtus communis L) and Olive Leaves ( Olea europaea ): Effect of Drying by Fluidization and Solar Methods on Key Bioactive Compounds Contents

The present study aims to evaluate the influence of drying by fluidization technology, compared to a traditional solar drying, on phenolic compounds of Moroccan Myrtus communis L. and Olea europaea L. species. Two main parameters of drying by fluidization (air speed (0.3-1 m/s for myrtle leaves and 1-3 m/s for olive leaves) and air temperature (40-60°C for the two plants leaves)) were modified and controlled. Results showed that high losses values in total polyphenols (TPP) and flavonoids (TF) were observed at (60°C; 0.3m/s) for myrtle leaves and at (60°C; 1m/s) for olive leaves with values. However, these compounds were more stable at (40°C;1m/s) for myrtle leaves and at (40°C; 3m/s) for olive leaves. Regarding the solar drying method, results showed that, for myrtle leaves, high losses were observed in TPP and TF contents compared to the fluidization method for all processing parameters. For olive leaves, Traditional solar drying give products with phenolics contents similar to those obtained by fluidization drying, especially at (60°C; 3m/s) with values of TPP and TF. The findings indicated that employing the fluidization drying method might be a suitable approach for enhancing the conservation of bioactive compounds within myrtle and olive leaves