Effect of Total Quality Management Practices on Competitive Advantage of Transport and Logistics Firms in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

TQM is a significant system of management for uninterrupted improvements to bring about competitive advantage. Today customers are insisting for quality in products and services. A company that meets such demands gains competitive advantage over competitors. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of total quality management on competitive advantage in transport and logistics firms in Mombasa County. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design which was considered as the most appropriate time horizon because information was gathered at a particular point in time or over a short time span. The target population 61 transport and logistics firms in Mombasa County and due to the small size of this population, there was no sampling hence the study was a census survey. A semi structured questionnaire was the main data collection instrument. An aggregate of 61 questionnaires were circulated among the study population, of which 43 of the respondents managed to provide feedback on the questionnaires, representing 72% response rate which was considered adequate. Data analysis with the help of SPSS produced descriptive statistics and correlation results. The results showed that customer focus has been implemented to a great extent followed by leadership and top management commitment while learning organization and teamwork and employee commitment have been implemented to a small extent. Overall, TQM has been adopted to a moderate extent and the impact of TQM on competitive advantage is also moderate. The study recommends that managers should look at TQM as a management principle that is more than leadership, customer focus, systems, organization culture, team work, supplier relationship or training. It is a combination of all the TQM practices and successful implementation implies that effort and endurance are compulsory to find harmony for each organization.