Factors influencing implementation of quality standards (kaizen) in flower industry: a case of Kariki ltd in Kiambu county.

Abstract

Kaizen was first taught in Japan by American occupational force that came to help rebuild Japan after Second World War. Kaizen is a quality standard that aims at continuous improving on the current quality standard. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors that influence the implementation of quality standard Kaizen in the flower industry specifically at Kariki ltd. Four independent variable were selected for the study which include training to workers on kaizen, management support to workers, education level of workers and team work among workers. Four objectives were formulated to study these variables. The researcher adopted the theoretical frame work from Deming (1982) theory of fourteen points on implementing quality standards. The researcher formulated a conceptual frame work which started with four independent variables (training, management support, education level and team work) and on the dependent variable he took implementation of quality standard Kaizen. The conceptual frame work also incorporated one extraneous variable, labour turn over. The study looked at literature review from other researchers on quality standard Kaizen and reviewed their findings on the independent variables (training, management support, education level and team work). The research adopted descriptive survey design. A target population of 220 workers from Kariki ltd was selected and a sample size of 132 workers was selected according to krejcie table. Questionnaire and interview schedules were selected as research instruments to collect data. These instruments were tested for validity using content validity and also tested for reliability using Karl Pearson correlation coefficient of split half technique. A permit letter from the National council for science and technology plus authorization letter from managing director of Kariki ltd was requested for before collection of data. Data was analyzed starting from demographic information to the influence of the four objectives on the implementation of kaizen. The findings showed that all the four independent variables influenced kaizen implementation in Kariki ltd. However team work was leading in influence, followed by training, followed by management support and last was education level of workers. The researcher concluded that team work was very important in the implementation of kaizen while education level had very little influence in kaizen implementation. The researcher recommended further research on factors influencing implementation of kaizen in other flower farms because very little information was available on this topic, kaizen being a new concept in the flower industry and in Kenya.