| dc.description.abstract | The Kenya manufacturing industry contributes to 10.7% of the country GDP, 26% of the
merchandise exported and 12 % of formal employment. The manufacturing industry in Kenya is
faced with a number of challenges one of which is competition from local firms as well as well-
established multinationals. This necessitates the need for the sector to implement a viable
business strategy in order to improve its competitiveness. Generic strategies are widely accepted
both academically and practically as sustainable competitive strategies and their influence on
performance have been critically examined in a wide range of business settings in countries
worldwide. TQM on the other hand establishes quality enhancement as a dominant priority and
one that is vital for long-term effectiveness and survival, it focuses on increasing efficiency and
improving processes, providing superior customer value and meeting customer needs. The
purpose of this study was to examine the mediation effect of TQM practices, on the relationship
between competitive strategies and organization performance in the Kenyan manufacturing
industry. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for the study
was 39 ISO certified, manufacturing firms. The target respondents were the CEO, Strategic
managers and Quality Assurance Managers a total of 117 respondents. A pilot test was
conducted to assess the questionnaire validity and reliability of the data. Structural equation
modeling (SEM) and multiple Regression analysis were used. The finding indicated that TQM
partially mediates the relationship between cost leadership strategy and organization
performance (organization learning and growth and internal process performance) but TQM
fully mediated the relationship between differentiation strategy and the following performance
measures internal process performance and organization learning and growth. | en_US |
