Organizational Maturity Applied to Food Industries: A Case Study

ABSTRACT This study applied an organizational maturity assessment model to the food industry, based on integrated technical standards, encompassing environmental management (ISO 14001), quality management (ISO 9001), and food safety (ISO 22000). The central focus was to investigate the involvement of companies in implementing and advancing the integrated management system (IMS) within the food industry. The model has five maturity levels and provides a framework to help understand and link maturity levels with companies’ development stages. The proposed model offers targeted guidelines for selecting appropriate strategies to achieve an evolutionary, productive, practical, and consistent level of organizational maturity within the IMS. This approach affords a preventive perspective and the integration of sustainable practices, emphasizing continuous improvement. The study provides diagnostic tools to identify different management phases, facilitating the selection of “drivers” that effectively support the development of a sustainable and efficient IMS. Validation of the model was successful when it showed a maturity level of 4.5 (out of 5.0) for the company with the highest number of certifications. This outcome highlights the need to establish a culture oriented toward continuous improvement and employee engagement.