Influence of ISO 9001-based quality management systems in SME organisational ambidexterity: An exploratory multiple-case approach

Organizations implementing ISO 9001-based quality management systems (QMS) operate within structured managerial frameworks that may influence how exploration and exploitation activities are coordinated. ISO 9001-based QMS may reinforce exploitation through standardization, documentation, monitoring, and control, but may also support exploration when continuous improvement, risk-based thinking, knowledge sharing, and employee involvement are enacted as learning-oriented mechanisms. Yet, empirical research has not sufficiently clarified how ISO 9001-based QMS mechanisms relate to organizational ambidexterity (OA), particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study explores how ISO 9001-based QMS mechanisms are perceived to shape exploration–exploitation dynamics in SMEs. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted in four Portuguese SMEs operating in technology-related sectors, using semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and direct observation. The findings suggest that ISO 9001-based practices—such as process formalization, continuous improvement routines, risk-based thinking, knowledge structuring, customer focus, and employee involvement—do not have uniform effects on OA. Rather, these mechanisms may reinforce exploitation, enable exploration, or condition the balance between both, depending on managerial interpretation, resource availability, and contextual factors. By adopting a mechanism-based perspective, this study contributes to quality management research by explaining how ISO 9001-related practices interact with ambidextrous dynamics in SMEs. The results provide context-bound insights that may support managerial reflection on how ISO 9001-based practices can be used to balance efficiency and innovation-oriented objectives.