Quality Culture and Ethical Behaviour are two complementary foundation elements in an ISO 9001-based Quality Management System (QMS), with greater emphasis on their implementation in the new standard version, ISO 9001:2026.
The update of the ISO 9001 standard in the 2026 version explicitly strengthens the position of these two elements, which were previously more implicit, as part of leadership and commitment (Clause 5.1), employee awareness (Clause 7.3), and through a note concerning the environment for the operation of processes (Clause 7.1.4). This means that the concept of quality is no longer enough to be proven through documents alone, but must become part of the culture and basis of behaviour in carrying out daily work.
As organizations prepare for ISO 9001 2026, understanding these changes and their practical implications is important to ensure that the Quality Management System is effectively implemented throughout the organization.
QUALITY CULTURE
A culture of quality is a collective mindset, set of values, and habits at all levels of the organization that places customer satisfaction and continual improvement as main priorities. There are several examples that can be interpreted as quality culture:
- Quality is more than just documented information: Documented information is simply a means of explaining how work should be performed, while quality culture is reflected in the actual actions of employees when they follow the work stages required by the documented information.
- No-Blame Culture: When there is an abnormality or non-conformity, the focus is not on finding out who is at fault, but rather on identifying what process improvements need to be made.
- Everyone’s Involvement: Quality is not only the responsibility of the Quality Control (QC) or Quality Assurance (QA) team, but the responsibility of every function, including HR, Procurement, Production, and Marketing.
This approach is particularly relevant to the ISO 9001 revision 2026, where quality culture needs to be reflected not only in documented processes but also in how employees perform their responsibilities and contribute to continual improvement.
ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR
Ethical behaviour is the application of the values of honesty, transparency, and integrity throughout the operation of a quality management system. Without ethics, a good quality system from an administrative and documentation perspective can turn into a false formality. Failure to behave ethically in the context of quality can result in serious quality failures and can ultimately damage market trust.
The forms of ethical conduct referred to in ISO 9001 include:
- Data Integrity: Not manipulating inspection reports, test data, or KPIs to make them look better during audits.
- Non-Conformity Transparency: Having the courage to report defective products or operational obstacles without fear of being unfairly acted upon or punished.
- Supply Chain Objectivity: Avoiding conflicts of interest in the evaluation and selection of suppliers.
- Honesty to Customers: Conveying facts in cases of delays or quality problems rather than hiding them from customers.
- Impartiality and Objectivity of an Internal Auditor: Maintaining impartiality and objectivity when conducting periodic internal audits within the organization.
These practices support the principles behind ISO 9001-2026 by ensuring that ethical behaviour becomes part of daily quality management activities rather than simply a documented expectation.
The Relationship Between the Two and Practical Implementation
| AREA | NO QUALITY CULTURE & ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR | WITH QUALITY CULTURE & ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR |
| Defective Findings | Concealed or manipulated to pass the examination. | Withheld, analyzed for root causes, and corrected. |
| Audit Reporting | Prepared close to the formal audit date. | Recorded in real-time and objectively according to actual events. |
| The Role of the Leader | Only gives commands and focuses on quantity targets. | Acts as a role model (walk the talk) and provides a sense of security. |
These two pillars ensure that organizations not only have an ISO 9001 certificate on paper, but also have a resilient, trusted, and sustainable management system in the long term.
In the explanation of leadership and commitment in ISO 9001:2026, Ethical Behaviour is part of the quality culture and is fundamental to leadership commitment to support the quality management system and demonstrate its ability to:
a) Provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements;
b) Enhance customer satisfaction;
c) Protect and improve its reputation.
These principles are particularly relevant when organizations are preparing for ISO 9001:2026, as leadership plays an important role in establishing a culture where quality and ethical behaviour are consistently demonstrated throughout the organization.
The organization can refer to ISO 10010:2022 (Quality management – Guidance to understand, evaluate and improve organizational quality culture) to improve its quality culture.
CBQA Global provides training to help organizations understand Quality Culture and Ethical Behaviour in relation to the implementation of ISO 9001:2026. The training can be customized based on client needs. The training contents consist of case examples from various processes to help participants understand the practical application of quality culture and ethical behaviour within their organization.
Related Article : Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 9001:2026 Every Organization Should Know
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