ISO Quality Management System Certification and Customer Satisfaction in Kenyan Aviation Industry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification and customer satisfaction in the Kenyan Aviation industry. The study had three objectives to achieve: To determine ISO 9001:2008 Certification status of firms within the aviation sector in Kenya; determine customer satisfaction for firms in the Kenyan aviation sector and to determine the relationship between ISO Certification and customer satisfaction in the aviation sector. The study took the form of a cross-sectional research design targeting managers and the employees of thirty organizations in the Kenyan Aviation industry. Stratified sampling was used to select 120 respondents who took part in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the respondents. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The findings were presented in tables and figures. The study established that 74% of the organizations in the Aviation industry in Kenya are ISO 9001 certified and 26% Non-ISO 9001 Certified. ISO 9001 certification was found not to have a significant relationship with customer satisfaction. The study found out that the employees customer orientation, and cross functional relationships within the organizations were factors influencing the relationship between ISO 9001 Certification and customer satisfaction. The aspects of employees‟ customer orientation were found to be training, motivation and employees customer focus.