Factors influencing continuos process improvement on sustainability of pastoral industries, Nyeri Catholic Archdiocese, Central Province, Kenya

Abstract

Total Quality Management (TQM) has become the only way to guarantee survival in worldclass competition. It is the art of managing the whole to achieve excellence. One of the basic principles of TQM is Continuous Improvement which was treated in this study as a principle to implement in the Pastoral Industries of the Archdiocese of Nyeri to make them sustainable and profitable. The Archdiocese of Nyeri (A D N) owns and manages a number of small scale enterprises called Pastoral Industries. The rationale behind these industries is to make the Archdiocese ofNyeri become self reliant, self ministering and self propagating.

This study analyzed how capacity building of the personnel contributes to the sustainability of the pastoral industries. It established the effect of constant review of policies and how improvement of infrastructure contributes to their productivity. Many studies conducted in this field only dealt with sustainability and or profitability of similar industries. A study showing continuous process improvement of the pastoral industries would be necessary to guarantee their performance by measuring their outputs.

The literature reviewed in this study included primary and secondary data at the global level down to the A D N. Descriptive research design was used and qualitative and quantitative data that was collected was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences and interpreted in relation to the research questions and objectives. The data collection method used included surveys, interviews and observations. Regression analysis was also conducted on the Pastoral Industries. The findings showed that the pastoral industries have a great potential and can be developed into a giant economic venture in this region if continuous improvement on staff training, policies and infrastructure is adopted as a strategy.

This study concluded that the Pastoral Industries of the Archdiocese ofNyeri have a role to play in financing the present and future activities in the church. It recommended that every point of the chain of management including the personnel, the processes and infrastructures of the pastoral industries should be subjected to rigorous and consistent incremental process. The study was done in the light of the gospel, guided by the words of Jesus Christ 'Be perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect' Mt 5 :48. Although it is not possible to attain full perfection at once, quality based organizations should strive to achieve perfection by continuously improving the business and production processes (Besterfield, 2003).