Abstract:
In the present competitive business environment, quality of products and/service offered by any organization play an important role in determining the satisfaction of the customer. Customer satisfaction on the other hand contributes to firm growth. Similar to other organizations, universities endeavor to ensure quality of their service is attractive to the customers. To enhance the confidence in the quality of teaching, learning and research, most Universities in Kenya choose to be certified on ISO 9001 quality management system. The Standard requires the organizations to establish a quality management system (QMS) to ensure provision of quality services and products that satisfy the customers. Since quality of university education has been a subject of concern in Kenya, there is need to understand what action is being taken to address the quality concerns. It is against this background that the study sought to establish the role of quality management system based on ISO 9001 standard on the students’ satisfaction in ISO 9001:2008 certified universities in Kenya. The study was guided by five specific objectives namely; the effect of QMS documentation management, leadership management, resource management, product realisation management and improvement management on the students’ satisfaction in ISO 9001:2008 certified universities in Kenya. The objectives were supported by key theories to help the research conceptualize the variables effectively. The theories included; perceived service quality model, system model, total quality management model and resource input model. A sample of 384 students drawn from all the 24 certified universities participated in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires. Quantitative data analysis methods used to generate frequency distribution, descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically, ordered probit regression model was used to analyse the data using STATA software whereas chi squire test statistics was used to test the hypotheses related to students’ satisfaction. The findings further established that documentation, leadership management, resource management, product realization and improvement management enhanced the students’ satisfaction among the ISO 9001 certified universities in Kenya. The inferential statistics analysis revealed that leadership management, resource management, product realization management and improvement management were positively and significantly related to students’ satisfaction. It is concluded that ISO 9001 certified universities in Kenya had better students’ satisfaction as a result of embracing leadership, product realisation, resource management and improvement management. Based on the findings it is recommended that the universities should embrace better strategies to enhance the satisfaction of the students. This could be done through enhancing proper documentation of the school records, allocating adequate resources to the institutional operations, coming up with better products as well as providing better leadership which is people orientated and focused on students as the main stakeholders.
