Human related dimensions of quality management practices

Abstract

This paper focused on the role of human-related dimensions of quality management (QM) practices on performance of Market Research Firms. Considering the critical role-played by Market Research Firms of providing information to private, public, government and academic sectors for in-depth knowledge of decision making, evaluation of soft dimensions involving human resources was certainly needed. The paper explored the extent in which Market Research Firms have implemented soft QM practices, viz. total employees’ involvement, employees’ empowerment, teamwork, continuous training and education, top management commitment, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction to provide suitable information solutions to sustain the needs of Kenya’s ever-growing economy. Exploratory qualitative research design was used to carry out the study with a four-fold analytical framework used for evaluation of findings. The samples of the study were 300 interviewers of Market Research Firms. The finding of the study showed that although Market Research Firms have applied quality management to a great extent, soft dimensions involving human resources are still superficial. To solve the situation, the study prescribed the need for Market Research Firms to include human related aspects of QM practices as an integral part of their strategic vision to satisfy quest for quality information in Kenya.