| dc.description.abstract | The agriculture sector is getting competitive every day. In order to be successful, Total
Quality Management (TQM) implementation ought to be the integral part of any
organization’s strategic management. Total Quality Management (TQM) is considered as one
of the most important approaches to achieve quality in processing industries not only in
Kenya but the world over. The purpose of this study was to assess the determinants of
implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in KTDA as a processing industry in
Kenya with a case study of KTDA factories in Nyeri County. Nyeri County was chosen
because it had well established KTDA factories that were already implementing TQM. The
study sought to establish the extent to which top management commitment, employees’
training, continuous improvement of products and services and communication influence
implementation of TQM in processing industries in Kenya. A descriptive research design was
utilized in this study. A pilot test was conducted on 5 quality team members at Kanyenyaini
Tea Factory in Murang’a to test reliability. The target population for the study were members
of staff of the five KTDA factories in Nyeri County. The study adopted census sampling
method since all quality team members were identified as the respondents. The sample size
for this study was 75 persons. Structured questionnaire were administered through drop and
pick method to the respondents in the five KTDA factories in Nyeri County. Responses from
58 respondents were obtained representing 77.3% response rate. Data were then analysed
using SPSS program (version 20). The data were presented in form of tables to show
frequencies, percentages and correlations. The study found out that top management
commitment, employees’ training, continuous improvement of products and services and
communication were all critical since they had positive influence in the implementation of
TQM. The study concluded that the success of the implementation process depends on how
well the company understands the process and the strategies adopted. The study recommends
that top management be in front line to provide leadership and critical resources needed for
successful implementation of TQM; that employees at all levels are trained on TQM; that
continuous improvement of goods and services be a key objective in every company to gain
competitive edge. Finally the study further recommends that companies develop appropriate
communication system that allows free flow of quality information at all levels. Further
studies have been suggested on variables like customer satisfaction and organizational
performance and how they influence TQM implementation in other sectors. | en_US |
