The impact of total quality management policy on customers’ satisfaction at Kenya power and lighting company in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of TQM policy on customers’ satisfaction at Kenya Power & Lighting Companiny in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, The specific objectives of the study were: to examine the quality of customers’ reception, to assess the nature of education services of KPLC’s products and services, to analyze the durability of materials used in the distribution of power and it’s connection between customers’ satisfaction, to evaluate the effectiveness of power supply and it’s relationship to customers’ satisfaction feedback, to identify & discuss the nature of customers’ satisfaction level of KPLC’s responses to critical incidences raised/reported An exploratory study design was adopted. The study targeted employees of KPLC (Internal customers, 489 census) and customers being served by KPLC (external target customers, 32,750) in Uasin Gishu County in selected areas. A sample of 30% of the employees was computed (Kerlinger (1983) & Kothari (2008) formula). This yielded 147 employees. The employees were then sampled using proportionate random sampling technique. To compute the sample of external customers, Reid & Boore (1991) formula (since the population is greater than 10,000) was used to get 395 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaire, coded and processed for analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 20.0. Open-ended questions were analyzed through coding themes and quotas that emerged. The themes emerging from secondary data were identified to augment primary data. Qualitative data were transcribed and organized into themes in order to check on their frequencies based on the research objectives. To establish the impact of TQM policy on customers’ satisfaction, variable of customers’ satisfaction which were investigated in this study were categorized into two (core and relational). The core were; products quality, assurance, responsiveness and reliability while relational dimensions were the employees’ courtesy and tangibles as independent variable and customers’ satisfaction as dependent variable. Analyzed data were presented in form of cumulative frequency tables, percentages, charts and graphs. The study established that majority of customers were generally dissatisfied with reception services at KPLC; customer education services had been provided to a moderate extent; and, KPLC’s response to critical incidences was generally low. Although the respondents indicated that KPLC used durable materials in the supply of power, respondents indicated that power supply was generally ineffective. The results show that five of the variables used in the model (which depict TQM) policy, are statistically significant in predicting customers’ satisfaction. The study concludes that a positive correlation between TQM policy on service delivery quality and customers’ satisfaction achievement exists. The study recommends that emphasis should be put on the principles of TQM policy for successful of achieving or attaining service delivery on customers’ satisfaction and for the success of the company.