Qi Is Total Quality Management

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

The precept of Quality Improvement (QI) is Total Quality Management (TMQ). Total quality management and quality improvement has been a fundamental business strategy of the world’s leading organizations such as Xerox, Motorola, Citibank, Microsoft and Nokia throughout the 1980s. Crosby (1979) explained quality as conformance to requirements and feels that higher quality results in reduction of cost and increase in profit. Deming (2000) on the other hand defines quality in terms of quality of design, quality of conformance and quality of the sales and service functions. The main focus of Deming’s philosophy is on the planned reduction of variation (Ibid). Once variation of product and service is minimized, costumers are delighted with the product or service. It is important to understand why TQM is emphasized with such passion and earnestness in all institutions, both manufacturing and service industries. This is so because the secrets of the success of all organizations have been traced to their focus on providing quality products and services to customers. In management, Total Quality Management means more than an average. It means focusing on production of increasingly better products and services at progressively more competitive prices (Deming, 2000).

It also means focusing on doing things right the first time and thus avoiding the high cost associated with waste and defects. An understanding of Total Quality Management in the manufacturing and service industries is relevant in today competitive business environment. Total Quality Management is playing an important role in helping organizations in the world to become more competitive in the global market. Oakland (1991) mentions that the concepts of Total Quality Management are simple, straight-forward and easy to understand and each part involves integration of International processes across the organization and beyond. While Western managers have been preoccupied with the debate on trade policies, Japanese managers have been achieving vast improvements in organizational performance by reducing defect rates, increasing reliability levels and product performance by applying the basic principles of Total Quality Management. Every organization has costumers whether inside or outside and there is the need to identify what the customer requirements are, and then set out strategies to meet them. Total Quality Management stresses essentially on customers rather than any other resource as in the traditional management.

According to Mohanty and Lakhe (2006), business quality goals drive the organization’s work from product and service design and development to customer satisfaction. In many organizations, this requires a basic change in their business orientation and in their quality systems. It is evidenced that Total Quality Management has become an international business strategy. The concept of Total Quality Management emphasizes the need to build quality programmes throughout the customer value chain by integrating and connecting all key quality work processes.

The large scale neglect of quality precepts among artisans, mechanics and entrepreneurs at large in Ghana is evidenced by the widespread of sub-standard products and services that are delivered at the market. Customers are sometimes not satisfies with these products and services and may not even patronize them at all. This brings the full strength of the company and its suppliers to increase the value or the customers in performance, service, design and economy (Feigenbaum, 1990).

There is the need for radical paradigm shift in quality perceptions and appreciation among Ghanaian artisans and mechanics so as to achieve improved and sustained quality of products and services.

1.2 Problem Statement

Mechanical workshops abound in Ghana, and like many other artisanal workshops where products and services are delivered, are confronted with many operational challenges. Preliminary survey was conducted in June 2012 to acquaint the researcher with the current situation for such workshops at Wa Magazine where variety of technical services and products such as metal working, vehicle repair and maintenance are provided. The findings revealed some problems that include late delivery of services, work flow pattern characterized with inconsistencies in the internal work processes and arrangement and the generally high failure rate of Quality Control Systems. Although such mechanical workshop industry provide a wider services delivery to the automobile industry in the country as well as economic and social needs, a lot remains to be done in these informal setups in terms of quality appreciation and adoption in order to gain customer confidence and become more competitive against the current trend of globalization and influx of foreign companies in the country. This study therefore explores these issues further with a view to making recommendations for improving performance specifically in the Wa Magazine in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

1.3 Research objectives and questions

The aim of the study is to examine the performance of informal mechanical workshops in Wa Magazine and identify what TQM strategies can enhance their performance.

The specific objectives are in three folds:

To identify and document key service delivery provisions and customers available in Wa Magazine.

To assess the opportunities and challenges of these service deliveries in Wa Magazine

To ascertain from the customers and mechanics what factors contribute to TQM in the informal mechanical workshops

In view of the above objectives, the following research questions emerge:

What are the key service delivery provisions in Wa Magazine?

How do customers and mechanics perceive the opportunities and challenges of service deliveries in the informal mechanical workshops?

What critical factors contribute to TQM in the informal mechanical workshops?

1.4 Justification for the Study

Despite being well-endowed with natural resources, Ghana faces a number of development challenges. Quality perception is largely absent in many facets of the productive economy and this is making the nation as a whole less competitive. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. (Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.)

Informal artisans and technicians also account for some whooping 20% or more of employment. It is therefore imperative for the management of artisanal workshops to give priority attention if the industry is to be sustained and be profitable in the long term. It is expected that the recommendations of this research may receive policy attention to improve the informal mechanical workshops in Wa Magazine and Ghana as a whole by state and non-state organizations. Furthermore, add up to the knowledge of Total Quality Management in the informal sector.

1.5 Thesis outline

The study is organized into five chapters. The Chapter one is the general introduction which contains the background of the study, the statement of the problem, outline of objectives, justification for the study and the thesis outline. The Chapter two is the literature review which entails the discussion of literature on the subject matter as a basis for data collection and analysis. The Chapter three is the methodology and present the profile of Wa Magazine as the study area indicating the nature of artisanal and technical services provided. The chapter presents the research method which highlights the sampling techniques, research variables and data gathering instruments. The method of data analysis is also presented and the chapter ends with research constraints/problems encountered during the data collection. The study results and discussions are in Chapter four. The Chapter five presents the summary of main findings, conclusion and recommendations.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter entails the discussion of literature which includes the Concept of Total Quality Management, Meaning, background and rationale of Total Quality Management; and Critical Factors of Total Quality Management.

2.2. Concept of Total Quality Management

According to Milakovich (1995), the global movement of Total Quality Management has by now spread almost all over the world and considered a new strategy for improving public organizations’ performance in service delivery. It is also an innovative strategy of public management for meeting the challenges of globalization, and for building human capital capacity towards improved quality in service delivery at all levels of an economy. As an innovative strategy, public organizations across the world need to adopt the concept of TQM and turn it into a reality at local, national, and international levels. Initially, the private industries applied the concept to improve their production and productivity outputs, while that trend has now been widely extended to the service industries which employs more than 80% of the workforce in the United States and most European countries (Milakovich, 1995).

According to Leslie et al. (1993) the level of awareness of TQM has increased considerably over the last few years. There is a widespread consensus that TQM is a way of managing organizations to improve their overall effectiveness. There is less agreement as to what the key elements of TQM are and what critical factors influence TQM implementation process. Organizations differ in their approach to TQM. Some focus on specific areas such as quality management systems where as others take a holistic approach and attempt to implement TQM programmes covering all the key areas.

2.3 Meaning, background and rationale of Total Quality Management:

According to the United Nations report (UN-Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 1993) quality is not a new concept in modern business. It is more than a noble idea; it is the core of how a business satisfies its customers. William Cooper Procter, grandson of the founder Procter & Gamble told his employees that:

‘the first job we have is to turn out quality merchandise that consumers will buy and keep on buying. If we produce it efficiently and economically, we will earn a profit in which you will share’.

TQM is the continuous process of reducing or eliminating errors in manufacturing, streamlining supply chain management, improving the customer experience and ensuring that employees are up-to-speed with their training. Total quality management aims to hold all parties involved in the production process accountable for the overall quality of the final product or service. It is an integrative philosophy of management for continuously improving the quality of products and processes and based on the premise that the quality of products and processes is the responsibility of everyone involved with the creation or consumption of the products or services offered by an organization, requiring the involvement of management, workforce, suppliers, and customers, to meet or exceed customer expectations (Deming, 2000).

The history of quality management, from mere 'inspection' to Total Quality Management, and its modern 'branded interpretations such as 'Six Sigma', has led to the development of essential processes, ideas, theories and tools that are central to organizational development, change management, and the performance improvements that are generally desired for individuals, teams and organizations.

Total Quality Management can be traced to early 1920's production quality control ideas, and notably the concepts developed in Japan beginning in the late 1940's and 1950's, pioneered by Americans Feigenbaum A.V , Juran J. and Deming W.E.

Total Quality Management began as a challenge to private business to satisfy customer needs, reduce costs, and continuously improve industries’ performance. It refers more to a general organizational movement or philosophy and a way of thinking than to a very specific set of management procedures, processes, and rules. The public sector adopted the idea of total quality management in government operations in the late 1980’s in order to improve the quality of public service (Leslie et al., 1993). According to Adams (2010), there are many rationales for quality service and improvement in organizational performance. First, it is expected that individuals or organization in public or private sectors should provide quality and satisfactory services to people. Second, quality service and performance eliminates or reduces duplication, waste, and redundancy. There is an old Persian saying that goes that: "do the job right the first time so you do not have to do it over’’. Third, quality performance helps build trust and enhance confidence in two directions, that is either the performer develops a feeling of confidence and pride in personal and professional performance thus building further on self-confidence or the receiver of the quality performance or service–citizens, customers, and users of the products–develops a feeling of trust or confidence in the supplies of services and goods or products. This further builds on the customers’ satisfaction and citizens’ trust in organizational performance and contributes to the legitimacy of, and support, for government and public management. Fourth, quality performance and TQM processes provide a mechanism of self-correction, improvements, and elimination of waste and defects, save money and time and build long-term effectiveness in products and services produced. Fifth, quality performance and TQM application help build and enhance a culture of ethical work behavior in private individual and organizational performance, a culture of values, self-respect, and integrity in workmanship, psychological wellbeing, and organizational effectiveness. Finally, quality performance eliminates or reduces the need for after-the-fact inspections that can be costly, time consuming, and some time with irreversible consequences, such as defective products or services posing hazards to ecological health and human lives.

There are also other reasons or rationales for adopting TQM and quality standards in organizational performance. As the global economy expanded for the last decades and the globalization process accelerated, businesses and industries worldwide, especially the automotive industry and electronic manufacturers, became aware of their need to reform their ways of performance and improve their product quality or fail as a business enterprise. As a pioneer in this endeavor, Japan had realized the need for continuous improvement in business and industry prior to the United States and acknowledged the need for such improvement, and internalized the values of TQM as a philosophy in her work culture. Consequently, Japan’s success in producing and supplying "quality" products and services captured the world markets and was responsible for a large portion of the financial losses American companies faced in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In fact, while American corporations often use coercive means (financial, military, and political pressures) to export their products to developing countries and other industrialized nations, Japanese quality products serve as the best and most effective "ambassadors" worldwide; they are sought in towns and villages around the globe for their quality, durability, dependability, and reliability. Citizens worldwide have the same demands and expectations of their governments, only more and better for less.

2.4 Critical Factors of Total Quality Management

Critical factors of TQM have well been researched in management studies. Diverse authors have mentioned different critical factors necessary for the successful implementation of Total Quality Management. The need for an improved understanding of the critical factors for successful TQM implementation is becoming more important. Much of the work to date has concentrated on large businesses, very little has been done in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

One of the main difficulties in studying critical factors of TQM is how to define and measure them before they become critical (Zairi, 1996). A study of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) was pioneered by Saraph et al. (1989) in which they derived a set of eight critical factors of quality management mainly from literature published by the quality gurus. They defined critical factors as those ``critical areas of managerial planning and action that must be practised to achieve effective quality management in a business unit’ ’ (Saraph et al., 1989). The study of CSFs was later pursued by other authors who approached the problem using different methodologies for factor derivation. By implication, therefore, Total Quality Management differs from other management techniques because it focuses on the outcome not the output of a particular organization. Even though at the end of the day one organization may have served customers in an efficient way the question remains: was their service effective? Just because a project is "done" does not necessarily mean its "done well"; it just means it’s finished, not even completed because the concept "complete or completion" has meaning beyond finishing a task or job. It refers to completing the required task of integrating together the necessary components of a product or service with "quality" assurance and consequences.

The writings of the quality scholars like Crosby, Deming and Feigenbaum and several implementation case studies identified the eight critical factors in the TQM implementation process that are common to successful TQM programmes. These are (1) Necessary management behaviours: clear leadership and vision is required and senior management must demonstrate a commitment to TQM and be actively involved in the TQM process. Management should set an example by managing quality as a key strategic issue and supporting continuous improvement.

(2) A strategy for TQM implementation: the specific TQM objectives and requirements of the organization must be determined. The TQM activity must be incorporated into the organizations' business plans and the means for continuous improvement established.

(3) Organization for TQM: TQM requires an organizational structure which demands and harnesses the full potential of the workforce. A team structure provides the means for involvement and the power for quality improvement. The hierarchical structure with a facilitation role provides a clear line of authority for setting goals and reviewing progress.

(4) Communication for TQM: communication provides the means of raising quality awareness and involvement and reinforcing the message. It is also critical as a means of publicizing achievements and recognizing contributions to quality improvement.

(5) Training and education: education and training should cover all employees as part of an ongoing process, with the scope and depth tailored to suit each group's needs.

(6) Employee involvement: involvement in the TQM process is a key determinant of a successful programme. Until everyone is involved in the process of quality improvement, there is a major cost of lost opportunity being carried by the organization.

(7) Process management and systems: a key part of any total quality strategy is the management of processes. A documented quality system, as part of a total quality strategy, contributes to this by managing the organizations' processes in a consistent manner.

(8) Quality technologies: quality technologies, such as quality costing and benchmarking, provide the techniques to identify opportunities and solve problems. They enable continuous improvements and reductions in variation to be achieved. The eight critical factors identified above can be compared with two other assessments of the critical factors of TQM Saraph et al. (1989) have attempted to determine the important factors in quality management using a questionnaire technique and factor analysis and came out with eight critical factors namely (i) role of management leadership and quality policy; (ii) role of the quality department; (iii) Training of employees; (iv) Product/service design; (v) Supplier quality management; (vi) Process management; (vii) Quality data and recording and (viii) employee relations. In addition to the above mentioned critical factors the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (1992) also added Customer focus and satisfaction.

The three principles of total quality management are 1) integrated organization infrastructure, 2) a set of management practices and 3) a set of tools and techniques which must work together. Infrastructure refers to the basic management systems necessary to function effectively and carry out the principles of Total Quality management and includes elements such as customer relationship management, leadership and strategic planning, human resources management, process management and data and information management. Management practices are those activities that occur within each element of the infrastructure to achieve high performance objectives. For example, reviewing company performance is a leadership practice, training and determining employee satisfaction are human resources management practices and coordinating design and production/delivery processes to ensure trouble free introduction and delivery of products and services is a process management practice. The third principle of set of tools and techniques include a wide variety of graphical and statistical methods to plan work activities.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter is devoted to the methodology used in the study. It describes the research design, the study area, the study population, sampling procedures, sources of data, data collection instruments, the fieldwork, and data processing and analysis.

3.2 Research design

The study used the descriptive and evaluative research designs in a social survey, with Wa Magazine as a case study. Given the nature of the research topic, the descriptive design was most suitable because the researcher wanted to find out in-depth information on the topic. Ary, Jacob and Revich (1990) have stated that descriptive research studies are designed to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena. Descriptive research design focuses on determining the status of a defined population with respect to obtaining certain variables. This design was, therefore, used to obtain a general overview of TQM at Wa Magazine. The evaluative research design was used to assess the perceptions of the informal workshops and their clients in Wa Magazine on the TQM. Data collection techniques employed was open and closed-ended questionnaire to ensure that a very comprehensive data is collected. The development of the questions is based on the information gathered from the literature review and preliminary survey done.

3.3. Study area

This research focuses on the operations of mechanical workshops in Wa Magazine. Wa is the capital of Wa Municipal assembly which is one of the eleven districts making up the upper west region. The Upper West region is located in the North-West part of Ghana and shares borders with the La Cote D’ivoire to the North-West, Burkina Faso to the North and Upper East region to the East and the Northern region to the south. The Wa Municipal Assembly shares administrative boundaries with Nadowli District to the North, Wa East District to the East and South is the Wa West District. The Wa Magazine is located in the industrial area which is in the Eastern part of Wa. The magazine has a land size of 35.6 hectares. It was established in October 2010. It is estimated to have about six hundred (600) workers comprising of manufacturing, vehicle repairs and maintenance, metal working, sale of engineering materials and accessories (see Table 3.1) of which three hundred and ninety-six males where engaged in the study.

Photo 1: Entrance of Wa Magazine

Table 3.1: Product groupings and services at Wa magazine.

Major sectors

Services

Vehicle repairs and maintenance

Engine overhauling, auto electrical work, vehicle interior upholstery, auto body Straightening and spraying

Sale of engineering materials and accessories

Sheet meals, bars, iron rods hand tools, fasteners etc

Metal working

Metal fabrication and plant construction

Sale of auto mobile spare parts

Second hand engines and parts, car decorating materials

3.4 Method

3.4.1 Target respondents and period for data collection

The study used the non-probability convenience sampling technique. Convenience sampling technique allows the selection of sample based on the respondents who happen to be at the right place at the right time. The researcher questioned the respondents that were available and ready to give information at the time of the visit to the Wa Magazine. This technique was used because of the time constraints on the part of the researcher because it is the least time consuming. The study population comprised both mechanics and their clients of the Wa Magazine who were actually engaged in providing and receiving services. It was made up of three hundred and ninety-six (396) males engage in vehicle repairs and maintenance, metal working, sale of engineering materials and accessories and Sale of auto mobile spare parts. Furthermore, hundred (100) customers or clients who were then at the Wa Magazine receiving services of the artisans and mechanics at the period of data collection were also involved in the study to seek their views of the quality performance at the workshops. Table 3.2 presents the sampling distribution of the respondents. Data capture spans a period of two months.

Table 3.2 Sampling distribution of Respondents

Categories of Respondents

Males

Females

Total

Artisans and mechanic

396

-

396

Customers /Clients

92

8

100

Source: Field Survey, 2012

3.5 Data sources and issues of enquiries

Information for the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was generated from the fieldwork while secondary data was obtained from published and unpublished literature, official records, relevant textbooks, brochures and the internet.

The main instrument used in this study was the self-administered questionnaire. Two questionnaires were administered one for the artisans/mechanics and the other for the clients or customers. The questionnaire for both categories of respondents had five sections. Section A dealt with the personal characteristics of the respondents; Section B focused on ‘Key service delivery provisions and customers in the informal mechanical workshops; Section C focused on ‘Strengths and challenges in the informal mechanical workshops; Section D dealt with Total quality management factors prevailing in the informal mechanical workshops; and Section E covered Respondents’ perceptions of factors of TQM that will improve the informal mechanical workshop and the wellbeing of the workers.

3.6 Field data collection

The fieldwork commenced on 11th December, 2012 and ended on 18th December, 2012. The fieldwork took approximately one week to complete. Questionnaires were distributed by hand to the respondents. The Researcher deployed the services of National Service Personnel from the work place and some family members to move from person to person to read and interpret the questionnaire since the level of education of the respondents is low. One of the Service Personnel travelled out of town and the researcher could not retrieve four questionnaires. However, the rest of the 396 respondents returned their questionnaires in satisfactory condition within 7 days.

3.7 Data processing and analysis

The questionnaires were coded and subsequently entered into the computer and the analysis done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) (Version 16.0) software. The findings were then presented in percentages and frequency tables.

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction

The chapter presents the analysis of data collected from 396 artisanal respondents who work at the Wa Magazine, and 100 clients/customers who receive various types of services from the Wa Magazine. The data gathered was analyzed using SPSS (version 16.0) the results are presented in the form of frequencies and tables. The chapter presents the demographic and views of the Artisans/Mechanic and the Customers/clients on the key service delivery provisions and customers in the informal mechanical workshops, Strengths and challenges in the informal mechanical workshops, total quality management factors prevailing in the informal mechanical workshop and factors of TQM that will improve the informal mechanical workshop and the wellbeing of the workers.

Perceptions of Artisans /Mechanics in Wa Magazine

4.2 Demographic characteristics of respondents

The demographic characteristics of the artisans analysed in the study include gender, age and education of the respondents.

4.2.1 Gender, age range and education

The respondents of the study were made up of males there was no female artisan was found to engage in the survey as at the time of data collection. This is because there was no female artisan in the Wa Magazine as shown in Table 4.1.The study further revealed that majority of the respondents (71.5%) fell between the ages of 18 and 35 which is an indication that youth form majority of the artisans/mechanics in Wa Magazine.

Table 4.1 Respondents gender, age range and educational status

Respondents demographic characteristics

Frequency (n=396)

Percentage (%)

Gender

Male

396

100

Female

-

-

Age range

<18years

-

-

18-35years

283

71.5

36-53years

113

28.5

>53 years

-

-

Educational status

Primary

113

28.5

Middle /JSS

170

43.0

Vocational/SHS

57

14.4

None

56

14.1

Source: Field Survey, 2012

The study findings revealed that the artisans involved in the study at Wa magazine had four main qualifications namely primary education, middle school/JHS certificate, vocational /SHS certificates and those who have no formal education. The majority of the respondents (43%) have middle or junior secondary certificates whilst the least (14.1%) respondents are those without any formal education as shown in Table 3.

4.3 Key service delivery provisions and clients

Table4.2: Technical specialization of respondents

Technical Specialization

Frequency(n=396)

Percentage (%)

Auto Mechanic

92

23.0

Auto Electricals

70

18.0

Interior Upholstery

34

9.0

Vulcanizes

60

15.0

Auto body straightening and spraying

75

19.0

Engine overhauling

65

16.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

From the Table 4.2 it could be deduced that 23% of the respondents in the study were in the Auto Mechanic services, while 18% were into Auto Electricals with 9% of the respondents were engaged in interior upholstery. The respondents technical specialization indicates a fairly representation of the diverse technical specializations as also noted informal mechanical garage in Suame Magazine (Adeya, 2001).

When asked of the length of time of working in the Magazine, majority of the respondents constituting 33% range between 1 to 3 years. This is followed by those who have been working in the magazine for periods greater than 5 years also accounting for 28 % of the total number of respondents. Cumulatively, 86% of the respondents have been working as artisans/mechanics for more than a year at Wa Magazine as shown in Table 4.3.

Table 4.3 Length of Service as Artisan or Mechanic

Years

Frequency (n=396)

Percentage (%)

Less than 1 year

56

14

1 to 3 years

130

33

4 to 5 years

110

28

More than 5 years

100

25

Source: Field Survey, 2012

According to the respondents, there are diverse clients for their respective specialization and among them include private car owners, commercial drivers, government institutions and non-governmental organizations. The private car owners’ according to 43% of the respondents constitute their regular customers with government and non-governmental institutions were represented by 29%.

Table 4.4: Target Customers

Customers

Frequency (n=396)

Percentage (%)

Private car owner

170

43.0

Commercial car driver

110

28..0

Government institutions

59

15.0

Non-governmental institution

57

14.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

4.5 Opportunities and challenges in the informal mechanical workshops

When the respondents were asked whether they meet deadlines of clients, majority (90.4%) indicated that they are able to meet delivery deadlines therefore facilitating movement and transportation within the transport industry of Ghana. The success story according to these respondents can be attributed to the fact that transportation services in Ghana is largely provided by the private sector with little or no government participation and that this has been sustained by their services. This is in support of Leslie et al. (1993) view that TQM began as a challenge to private business to satisfy customer needs, reduce costs, and continuously improve industries’ performance. The remaining 9.6% of the respondents were of contrary opinion that Artisans/Mechanics at Wa magazine have not been able to meet deadlines because of inherent weaknesses in the internal work processes and arrangements (See Table 4.5)

Table 4.5 Artisans/Mechanics ability and inability to meet deadlines of clients

Response

Frequency

Percentage

Yes

358

90.4

No

38

9.6

Total

396

100.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

From Table 4.6 it is observed that most of the respondents (60.6%) perceive customer satisfaction with the services provided by the Artisans/Mechanics to be high which supports Leslie et al. (1993) assertion that the level of awareness of total quality management (TQM) has increased considerably over the last few years. From the observation, it can be ascertained that presently, artisans/mechanics at Wa Magazine are aware of total quality management and are therefore working towards achieving it. There were however 26.8% and 12.6% of the respondents who perceived the customers satisfaction to be average and low respectively.

Table 4.6: Respondents’ perception of level of satisfaction of clients

Level of Satisfaction

Frequency

Percentage

High

240

60.6

Average

106

26.8

Low

50

12.6

Total

100

100.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

The study further revealed that the respondents perceived that their clients are also loyal. Reasons as quality of services provided (42.4%), timely delivery of services (20%), friendly client relations (15.2%) and lastly affordable cost of services (13.4%).

Despite the above mentioned opportunities prevailing in the Wa Magazine, the respondents also indicated some challenges hampering effective performance of their jobs as shown in Table 4.7. Prominent among them is high cost of tools mentioned by 57.3% of the respondents which many of the artisans are not able to afford, thus, affecting quality of services provided. This is followed by lack of refresher training and delayance in the payment of bills by clients constituting 28.3% and 14.4% respectively.

Table 4.7: Challenges of artisans/mechanics in Wa Magazine

Response

Frequency (n=396)

Percentage (%)

Lack of refresher training

112

28.3

High cost of tools

227

57.3

Customers delayance in payment of bills

57

14.4

Source: Field Survey 2012

Photo 3: The researcher interviewing a Mechanic at Wa Magazine

4.7 Total quality management factors prevailing in the informal mechanical workshop

When respondents were asked to indicate quality control systems such as i) continuous monitoring and evaluation, ii) provision of quality training for staff, iii) quality award schemes and iv)sanctions for consistently poor quality of work to clients prevailing in their workshops, none of the respondents mentioned that such quality system(s) prevail. This findings indeed are in contrast to Crosby, Deming, and Feigenbaum’s critical factors in the TQM implementation process which indicate that education and training should cover all employees as part of an ongoing process, with the scope and depth tailored to suit each group's needs.

Such scenario as witnessed in Wa Magazine warrant that these artisans/mechanics have to be taught formally to institute and implement a culture of zero defect and continuous improvement in whatever they do. These concepts will ensure that things are done right the first time, the right processes, procedures and policies are put in place to ensure that the service delivery meets total clients and stakeholder satisfaction.

4.8 Factors of TQM that will improve the informal mechanical workshop and the wellbeing of the workers.

Table 4.8: Effort to introduce and implement Quality Improvement at Wa magazine

Response

Frequency (n=396)

Percentage (%)

Yes

0

0

No

339

85.6

Do Not Know

57

14.4

Source: Field Survey 2012

From Table 4.8, as much as 85.6% of the respondents said there has never been any attempt in the past by government or any stakeholder to introduce and implement Quality Improvement at Wa Magazine whiles 14.4% of the respondents did not have any idea about any implementation of quality improvement programmes. It can be inferred that even though much is said about the attitude and quality of service provided by these artisans/mechanics, effort is not being made to support them to reach the utmost in quality performance. Adoption and implementation of TQM represents the utmost level for every organization which is currently absent from the Wa Magazine.

Perceptions of Clients/Customers accessing the Services of Wa Magazine

4.9 Customers gender and occupational statuses

From the study, it was observed that majority of the clients of Wa Magazine are males representing 92 % and the remaining 8% are female as shown in Table 4.9. Table 4.9 below shows the various types of clients that receive their services from Wa Magazine. Most of these clients interviewed are commercial drivers as indicated by 65% of the respondents contrary to the views of the artisans who indicated private car owners to be their most regular customers (see Table 4.9).

Table 4.9: Gender and Occupational statuses

Frequency(n=100)

Percentage

Gender

Male

92

92.0

Female

8

8.0

Occupation

Government institutional drivers

5

5.0

NGO

5

5.0

Commercial drivers

65

65.0

Private car owners

25

25.0

Government institutional drivers

5

5.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

4.10 Diversity of Services patronized by customers

The study revealed that 38% of the clients at Wa Magazine received auto mechanic services confirming the views of the artisans that their clients often patronize auto mechanic services compared to the other specializations. Auto body straightening and spraying is the second most sought out services as indicated by 18% of the respondents and 4% being interior upholstery. Majority of the respondents (30%) have being enjoying such services from the Wa Magazine between one and three years and 25% having enjoyed the services for the past five years. Cumulatively 75% of the respondents have received services at Wa Magazine over one year. This implies that the respondents may be knowledgeable about the services being provided at the Magazine.

Table 4.10: Types of services receive by clients

Services

Frequency(n=100)

Percentage (%)

Auto mechanic

38

38.0

Auto electrical

12

12.0

Interior upholstery

4

4.0

Vulcanizes

15

15.0

Auto body straightening and spraying

18

18.0

Engine overhauling

13

13.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

4.11 Clients views of the workflow and skills of the artisans

From Table 4.11, 45% of the respondents perceives that the work flow pattern in Wa Magazine is erratic and confronted with many operational bottlenecks. This is followed by 35% of the respondents who think that there are too many work steps involved in the work flow patterns making the processes quite inefficient. This contradicts one of the critical factors of total quality management that talks about process management and systems. A documented quality system, as part of a total quality strategy, contributes to this by managing the organizations' processes in a consistent manner. Twenty (20%) of the respondents perceive the work flow pattern not to be very responsive to customer needs. From Table 4.11 it can be deduced that the work flow pattern has to do with removing the operational bottlenecks and rationalizing the work flow processes so as to retain only some few and important or necessary work steps by introducing the appropriate tools and technology.

Table 4.11 Work flow pattern in Wa Magazine

Response

Frequency

Percentage

Confronted with many operational bottlenecks

45

45.0

Not very responsive to customer needs

20

20.0

Too many work steps involved making it quite inefficient

35

35.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

From the survey findings, 60% of the respondents rated the skills and competencies of artisans/mechanics at Wa Magazine as very good. Thirty-five (35%) of the total respondents rated skills and competencies as good while only 5% rated the skills and competencies as poor. On the whole, the artisans/mechanics at Wa Magazine are competent and skillful. However, in view of the ever changing business environment and the dynamics of automobile industry in general in terms of technological progression, a step in the right direction will be to continuously upgrade the skills and competencies of the artisans/mechanics so as to achieve the excellent level of rating.

4.12 Clients views of opportunities and challenges in Wa Magazine

Fifty-five (55%) of the respondents indicated that the artisans/mechanics meet deadlines of the services provided whereby 45% of the respondents thought otherwise. With regards to level of satisfaction of the clients’ performance, there were varied views. Sixty percent of the respondents indicated high satisfaction and only 5% said the satisfaction is low as shown in Table 4.10. Similar to the views of the artisans the reasons for remaining loyal to Wa Magazine include quality of service (45%), timely delivery of services (40%) of the total number of respondents. 15% of the respondents indicated friendly client relations as a reason for being loyal.

Table 4.12: Level of Satisfaction

Level of satisfaction

Frequency (n=100)

Percentage

High

60

60.0

Average

35

35.0

Low

5

5.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

From the views of the customers the Magazine is confronted with challenges and prominent among them is high cost of tools (45%) which many of the artisans are not able to afford, thus, affecting quality of services provided. Lack of refresher training (40%), dissatisfaction on service delivery (10%) and high charges (5%) also pose as a challenge or weakness in Wa Magazine.

4.12 Clients views of total quality management factors needed to improve performance

The survey indicated that quality control systems should be put in place in Wa Magazine. 55% of the total respondents agree that there should be provision of quality training for the artisans/mechanics in Wa Magazine. Continuous monitoring and evaluation, quality award schemes and sanctions for consistently low quality of work should be put into practice.

Table 4.13: Quality control systems

Response

Frequency

Percentage

Continuous monitoring and evaluation

35

35.0

Provision of quality training for staff

55

55.0

Instituting excellent quality performance award

5

5.0

Sanctions for consistently low quality of work

5

5.0

Source: Field Survey 2012

The perception of the respondents revealed that artisans/mechanics can be rated from low to high in relation to quality orientation. Fifty (50%) of the respondents rated quality orientation in the Wa Magazine as average, 35% as low while 15% rated as high. From the views of the clients, it can be deduced that artisans/mechanics at Wa Magazine are not quality conscious. There is the need to turn around this culture in order to build excellence into these service providers through the establishment and reinforcement as well as strict adherence to quality policies and procedures in whatever they do.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

The chapter presents a summary of the study findings, conclusions and recommendations made from the study that will help to improve total quality management in Wa Magazine.

5.2 Summary

The study examined the quality improvement of informal mechanical workshops in Wa Magazine in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study employed survey research design using semi-structured questionnaire as the main instrument of data collection. A sample of 396 artisans/mechanics and 100 clients were selected, using the purposive and quota sampling techniques. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 16.0) software was used to generate frequency tables and percentages for the presentation of the results and discussions made relating it to literature.

From the study, the following findings were made:

Greater proportions of the respondents have worked at Wa Magazine for over a year and therefore provided the researcher with reliable information

The study revealed that Artisans and their clients at Wa Magazine believe that on the average the artisans have lived up to expectation by meeting delivery deadlines.

Both artisans and clients at Wa Magazine are also aware of total quality management and are therefore working towards achieving it;

Artisans/mechanics at Wa Magazine perceive that customer satisfaction with the services provided is high.

Both Artisans and Clients agree that high cost of tools is a major challenge affecting quality of services provided at Wa Magazine.

Artisans/Mechanics at Wa Magazine do not use any quality control system as indicated by both artisans and clients.

There has never been any attempt in the past by government, management or any stakeholder to introduce and implement Quality Improvement at Wa Magazine.

Conclusion

The aim of the study is to examine the performance of informal mechanical workshops in Wa Magazine and identify what TQM strategies can enhance their performance. The specific objectives are in there folds: i) to identify and document key service delivery provisions and customers available in Wa Magazine; ii) to assess the opportunities and challenges of these service deliveries and iii) to ascertain from the customers and mechanics what factors contribute to TQM in the informal mechanical workshops among artisans and their clients in Wa Magazine.

The study revealed that the artisans and mechanics at the Wa Magazine are knowledgeable about their operations and hence the information they provided for this research could said to be quite authentic. To a large extent the artisan/mechanic at the Wa Magazine could be said to have lived up to their mandate of facilitating and promoting the growth and sustainability of the road transport industry in Ghana, however, apart from the minor deficiencies of a slow responsiveness of the work flow pattern in the Wa Magazine, the bulk of the effort at improving the work flow pattern has to do with removing operational bottlenecks. There has never been any attempt in the past to introduce quality improvement training initiatives for the artisans at this informal sector and hence the culture of thinking quality in everything that is done has not been ingrained in these artisans/mechanics yet. Adoption and implementation of quality improvement initiatives and total quality management in particular has not been in practice. The internal process defects include lack of quality policies, too many operating bottlenecks and low quality service. Other process defects include lack of proper monitoring and evaluation, and too many work steps involved making it quite inefficient.

5.4 Recommendations

From the survey findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are made for the consideration of stakeholders of artisans /mechanics at Wa Magazine

Effective operations system founded on sound policies and operating procedures should be established for these artisans/mechanics with corresponding training to improve their performance.

There is the need to embrace the precept of quality in service delivery which encompasses total quality management. Adherence to this will provide total client satisfaction and promote the needed growth in the transport industry in Ghana.

There is the need to identify and eliminate the operating bottlenecks such as the use of obsolete tools and techniques and inappropriate skilled apprentices together with a rationalization of the work flow processes so as to retain only some few and important or necessary work steps.

There is the need to also build on the quality consciousness of the people that work in these informal workshops by establishing and reinforcing a strict adherence to quality policies and procedures in whatever they do.