Quality management system implementation and continuous improvement in Glaxosmithkline Kenya Limited

Abstract

Global competition is ever increasing and with the increase in the demand for better quality products and services by buyers, organizations have come to the realization that the only option to survive in business is through delivery of high-quality products and services. Growing application of quality deployment has made more organizations appreciate and recognize Quality Management System (QMS) as among popular continuous improvement tools. The study examined QMS implementation and continuous improvement in GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Limited. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the perceptions of implementing QMS in GSK; evaluate the extent of QMS implementation in GSK Limited and evaluate the influence of QMS on continuous improvement at GSK Limited. This study was guided by four theories namely Quality Improvement Theory (QIT), the Resource-Based View (RBV), the Theory of Constraints TOC) and the invitational theory. “The study used the descriptive research design and the target population was all the 279 employees working at GSK Limited. A census was adopted for the study upon which 73 percent response rate was achieved. Primary data was collected from the respondents by use of self-administered structured questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions. The questionnaires were administered through the drop and pick method. The collected data was edited and coded and both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The inferential statistical analysis was undertaken by performing linear regression analysis on the dependent variable - organizational continuous improvement of performance and the independent variable - QMS.” On the first objective, the study found that the respondents held positive perceptions about the implementation of QMS in the organization and that it was an important tool for continuous improvement as evidenced by an aggregate mean of 4.26 on the attributes presented. On the second objective, the study found that QMS had been adopted to a large extent as demonstrated by an aggregate mean of 4.39 on the attributes presented. The findings on the third objective were that there exists no statistically significant relationship between QMS implementation and firm continuous improvement framework. This was so because the p-value of 0.216 at 95 percent level of significance. The study recommends that a study on QMSs of other firms from related or different industries could be done in order to identify areas of improvement in a bid to achieve the full benefit of QMS implementation with tangible benefits in continuous improvement rather than regulatory compliance only. The study also recommends that the management should undertake frequent system reviews to ensure that all operations are undertaken as per the standard operating procedures which facilitates timely identification of variations and opportunities for improvement using QMS. GlaxoSmithKline will benefit from the better understanding on the QMS implementation and use that for competitive advantage of the organization while correcting the relationship of QMS and continuous improvement.