Quality Management Practices and Customer Satisfaction in Middle Level Colleges in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Customer satisfaction is an asset that should be guarded and maintained just like any other asset in an organization. The management needs to have practices that promote customer satisfaction in service provision in an organization, middle level colleges included. The general objective of the study was to determine the effect of quality management practices on customer satisfaction in middle level colleges in Machakos County, Kenya. The study’s specific objectives were to establish how training and development, customer orientation, continuous improvement and leadership styles influences customer satisfaction in middle level College. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study target population was Machakos Teachers Training College whereby the respondents were management and heads of departments, Tutors, support staff and students from first and second years. The total target population was 312 respondents. The study used stratified sampling method to ensure that all cases are well represented and use simple random sampling method to select the respondents. The sample size was 175 respondents. This study used questionnaire instrument to collect data. Descriptive statistical analysis such as mean and standard deviation were used to analyse quantitative and presented in terms of tables, frequencies, graphs and charts. Multiple regression analysis was used to show the relationship between study variables. The study established that training and development, customer orientation, continuous improvement and leadership styles had a positive and significant influence on customer satisfaction in Machakos teacher training college. The study concludes that the college undertakes training programs to its workforce to strengthen their skills that each requires to improve and development programs are carried out to raise the level of their employees so that they all acquire skills and knowledge that are similar. Customer orientation is essential for achieving customer satisfaction and customer orientation practices primarily affect time-based efficiency. Continuous improvement is an ongoing incremental improvements where the college continues normal business activities, while constantly seeking out new opportunities to add value to their products, services and processes. Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve organizational goals. This study recommends that Machakos teachers training college should carry out training and development programs for tasks leading to leading to successful business operation, do an in-depth understanding of the institution environment, an insight regarding training and development options and career development approach to weld in employees into organizational effectiveness and knowledge sharing to improve customer satisfaction. Machakos teachers training college should ensure that employees to be great at customer service they create an institution culture focused on caring. Have a good understanding of what their customers want and establish good lines of communication. Machakos teachers training college need to continuously improve their products, services, and processes to remain competitive and be able to maintain a work space that is organised and clean, promoting enhanced functionality, efficiency, and productivity and Machakos teachers training college management should build upon the weaknesses and strengths of its leadership style by becoming more effective and balanced at leading others. Having this knowledge the managers will gain direction to develop goals and a training plan to become better leaders.