World Bank Document

E C O - A U D I T
Environmental Benefits Statement
The World Bank is committed to preserving 
endangered forests and natural resources. 
This book, Quality Systems and Standards for 
a Competitive Edge, is printed on 60 # New 
Life Opaque, a recycled paper with 30% post-
consumer waste. The Office of the Publisher 
follows the recommended standards for 
paper usage set by the Green Press Initiative, 
a nonprofit program supporting publishers 
in using fiber that is not sourced from 
endangered forests. For more information, 
visit www.greenpressinitiative.org. 
Saved:
• 8 trees
• 6 million BTUs of total 
energy
• 727 pounds (CO
2
equivalent) 
of greenhouse gases
• 3,019 gallons of waste water
• 388 pounds of solid waste

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ISBN 0-8213-6894-X
This excellent book clearly lays out why improving quality and standards is critical . . .
It is particularly relevant to firms and policy makers in all developing countries and in 
particular for Latin American ones . . . [Its] virtue is that it not only explains why quality 
and standards have to be improved, but most importantly, it shows what policy makers
and firms have to do, and how to do it. This is a must-read book.
Carl J. Dahlman
Henry R. Luce Professor of International Relations and Information Technology
Georgetown University
This very important and must-read book sets out a clear conceptual approach to quality
and standards, taking full account of the cons as well as the pros. And it is extremely rich 
in its examples and insights from the real world. This is policy-oriented microeconomics 
at its best.