Total quality and competitive advantage of firms in the horticultural industry in Kenya

Abstract

The study focused on Kenya’s horticultural industry and the aspects of total quality and competitive advantage. The available literature shows that total quality is associated with competitive advantage. However, most of that literature has come from developed countries. Researches carried out in developing countries have shown contradictory results. This study aimed at understanding these contradictions, and determination of the exact effect of total quality on an organization’s competitive advantage. The materials concerning the horticultural industry in Kenya highlight the context under which the study is undertaken. The industry is a vibrant and important sector of the economy. However, the sector is beset with numerous challenges, the biggest being one of quality. The sector, therefore, provided very fertile grounds for this study. All scientific practices including data validation and effective analysis were undertaken. This was to ensure replicability and validity of the research. Further, factors that were found to have very strong correlation, or scoring low corrected-item total correlation, were dropped before analysis was undertaken. The study is able to confirm that total quality has a strong and positive impact on competitive advantage. In the Kenyan context, it is discovered that the level of implementation of total quality is low. However, those implementing total quality are getting benefits similar to those in developed countries. This finding explains the contradiction seen in studies conducted in developing countries where organizations claiming to be quality oriented have posted different results. This study shows that it is not total quality that has been posting different results, but lack of effective implementation of total quality. A crucial finding is the poor evidence of the leadership concept and the tendency of taking quality certification as an end by itself. It is demonstrated that most of the certified companies do not understand the philosophy behind quality management and, therefore, cannot implement it effectively. Further, the surprise emergence of performance measurement as a powerful principle in the total quality paradigm for enhancing competitive advantage validates the government of Kenya’s preoccupation with performance contracts to government institutions. However, the value that ISO 9001 certification is bringing to the institutions against the enormous costs incurred is not validated. The research, therefore, recommends among other things, the appreciation and understanding of the total quality philosophy or any quality management system before embarking on implementation. Future research could take the form of a study of government institutions or firms cutting across industries that are ISO 9001 certified their level of implementing the quality management system, and the value the system has brought to the firms.