The impact of ISO registration on New Zealand firms’ performance: a financial perspective

The question that this study addresses is whether the shareholders of New Zealand firms benefit from the process of gaining ISO registration. Three major questions with regard to ISO registration within the New Zealand business context are raised. First, how do New Zealand public firms’ stock prices react to the announcement of ISO registration? Secondly, do ISO registered firms perform any differently to the New Zealand market on average? And finally, does the choice of certifying authority (organisation that awards ISO registration) have an influence on the subsequent performance of the ISO registered firms’ performance? This study is conducted from a financial perspective. The New Zealand market is found to have no reaction to ISO registration announcements; supporting the existence of semi‐strong market efficiency. ISO registered firms are found to perform below average when compared to the New Zealand capital market and the choice of certifying authority does hold influence on subsequent firm performance.