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.