QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND MARKET SHARE: A CASE OF AFRICAN AIRLINES IN NAIROBI
Abstract
The study aimed at assessing the relationship between quality management and market share taking a case of African airlines in Nairobi County. The target population for the study was thus 650 respondents from African Airlines based in Nairobi County. The sample size was thus determined as 242 respondents. The primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The study used descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using SPSS Version 22. The findings showed that in terms of continuous improvement practices, staff in airline companies where quality assurance staff effectively coordinated their efforts with others improved the quality of service delivery. The findings showed that staff moderately agreed that airlines’ had plans in place to retain its customers; that respondents agreed that the workforce was well motivated to undertake quality improvement; respondents’ agreed that the top management had the responsibility to make strategy in their firm; that coordination between quality assurance staff and service delivery staff had an impact on market share. The findings showed positive and significant effect of continuous improvement practices, customer focus, employee empowerment, and leadership on market share. Technology utilization and firm’s age had a moderating effect on performance of African airline companies. The findings revealed that leadership had the greatest effect on market share. The study concluded that the African airlines did not have any strategies to retain customers; motivated staff to undertake quality improvement; that there was need for leadership of African airline companies’ leadership to be committed and involved in the TQM implementation process. The study recommended that African airline companies to make concerted efforts to enhance collaboration and coordination between quality assurance staff and service delivery staff in an effort to enhance quality practice in delivering services to their customers; that African airlines should design and implement strategies that are aimed at retaining their current customers. This can be done by conducting evaluations on service delivery and expectations of consumers in the future to be able to meet and satisfy the customers’ needs and increase their loyalty to the airline; African airlines should motivate employees to undertake quality management practice. Leaders in African airlines should be more involved in implementation of quality management practices in the company.
Key Word: Continuous Improvement, Customer Focus, Employee Empowerment, Leadership Commitment, Firm Factors, Market Share
CITATION: Muyanda, B. K., Okumu, S., & Fr. Mathenge, P. (2019). Quality management and market share: A case of African Airlines in Nairobi. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 6 (3), 875 – 894.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v6i3.1364
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