Total Quality Management Practices and Competitive Advantage of Selected Manufacturing Firms in Industrial Area, Nairobi City County, Kenya
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Date
2024-10
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Kenyan manufacturing firms in Nairobi County technical efficiency operations have recently fallen to 59%, against the global index of 74% ostensibly caused by inadequate application of Total Quality Management Practices. The depth and breadth of quality practices implementation, intertwined with the contextual challenges endemic to Industrial Area firms, necessitates a nuanced and localized study to address the underlying menace and remain operationally vibrant. This study focused on determining the effect of total quality management practices on competitive advantage of selected manufacturing firms in industrial area, Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study’s specific objectives were to assess the effect of customer focus, quality planning, supplier management and employee involvement practices on competitive advantage of selected manufacturing firms. The study was anchored on competitive advantage, quality trilogy, and zero defects theories. The research design informing the study’s methodology was cross-sectional research design. The target population was the 20 selected manufacturing firms found in industrial area, Nairobi City County, Kenya where from each firm, the operations, procurement, and strategic managers were the respondents totaling to 60 respondents. Census survey was adopted to collect primary data using semi-structured questionnaires. Prior to data collection, a pilot study on test validity and reliability of research instrument was carried out where validity and reliability findings were used to improve on the instrument before actual data collection. The instrument items were found to be valid as expert rater one and two gave content validity indices of 0.86 and 0.91 respectively. The variables in the instrument were also reliable since quality planning, employee involvement, supplier management, customer focus, total quality management practice, and competitive advantage recorded Cronbach Alphas of 0.790, 0.821, 0.872, 0.758, 0.784, and 0.853 respectively. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data and result presented in tables and narrations. A multiple regression model was used to determine variable relationships in the study. As a research ethical procedure, respondents were provided with consent forms and necessary research permits and permissions obtained from relevant authorities. The study found that quality planning practice (β= 0.429; t= 6.302; p-value= 0.000), employee involvement practice (β=0.194, t= 2.419, p=0.019), supplier management (β=0.143, t= 2.020, p=0.048,), and customer focus practice (β=0.351, t= 5.050, p=0.000) had statistical significant positive effects on competitiveness. With an overall p-value of 0.000 and adjusted coefficient of determination (R-square) of 62.4%, the study found and concluded that total quality management practices have a statistical significant effect on competitiveness of selected manufacturing firms in industrial area, Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study recommends that management of manufacturing firms should research on vibrant quality management practices for implementation to enable them remain operationally relevant amidst heightened sectorial competitive pressures.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master in Business Administration (Strategic Management) of Kenyatta University, October 2024.
Supervisor
Janet Muthimi