Investigating the impact of total quality management (TQM) on customer satisfaction in Hormozgan province telecommunications company

Dissertation for M.A. degree

Department

Executive (Strategic) Management

Abstract

The overall aim of the research was to investigate the impact of comprehensive quality management on customer satisfaction in the telecommunications company of Hormozgan province. The descriptive research method is survey type. The statistical population of this research included all the customers of Hormozgan province telecommunication company, who were randomly selected by stratified method and using Cochran's formula, 404 people were examined as the research sample. The research tool included a comprehensive quality management questionnaire based on the dimensions of comprehensive quality management (Pattanayak, 2011 and Khanifar and Heydarnia, 2015) and a customer satisfaction questionnaire (Chamchung and Vangloresaichon, 2010). The validity of the questionnaires was calculated using item analysis and its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha method. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, percentage and inferential statistics such as linear and multiple regression analysis, Friedman test and path analysis. The results of linear regression for each question showed that 1- employee empowerment has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 2- Responsiveness has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 3- Speed ??in providing services has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 4- Accuracy in providing services has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 5- The beauty of the service delivery space has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 6- Core trust in providing services has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 7- Transparency and correct information have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 8- Flexibility in providing services has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 9- Compliance with values ??and beliefs has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. 10- Finally, the simultaneous effect of the variables in the final model using multiple regression showed that except for responsiveness, central trust in service provision and accuracy in service provision, the rest of the variables have a significant effect on customer satisfaction.   

Key words: comprehensive quality management, employee empowerment, customer satisfaction, customer-oriented, telecommunications company.    

Chapter 1

Research Overview

Introduction

Today, many markets have become highly competitive and to remain in this competitive environment, organizations must produce and provide quality goods and services to gain satisfied and loyal customers. Creating and acquiring satisfied customers is the main goal of every business; Because there is a clear and strong relationship between the quality of products (services) and customer satisfaction and profitability (Dikova [1], 2004). In fact, the main key to the life of the organization is to keep satisfied customers. Customer satisfaction is one of the important theoretical and empirical issues for most marketers and marketing researchers, which can be considered as the essence of success in today's competitive business world. Therefore, the importance of customer satisfaction and retention in formulating strategies for customer-oriented and market-oriented organizations cannot be underestimated (Henning and Troy [2], 1997).  

In this regard and related to customer satisfaction, perhaps the term comprehensive quality management[3] is one of the most common business terms that has been used in recent years for all efforts made to promote quality (Jaafari et al., 2013). Today, total quality management is accepted as a new management paradigm by thinkers and professional experts. The foundation of management thinking is based on continuous improvement of quality, satisfying customers and paying attention to the process instead of focusing on the result (Haji Sharif, 2016).

The comprehensive quality management movement started in the manufacturing industry; Because it was easier to measure quality performance and commitment to produce high quality products there. In fact, the production sector was the origin and a very suitable place to apply comprehensive quality management as a visionary concept of quality control (Riahi, 2011).

But it gradually affected the service systems in the public sector as well. Recently, a large number of public sector organizations are trying to apply management principles based on customer-oriented thinking and with the intention of being accepted by them. Organizations that operate in the public sector, such as health care organizations, local governments, police, emergency services and other government agencies, have realized that customer service and attention to quality are important categories in the competitive market of the decade.. Organizations that operate in the public sector, such as health care organizations, local governments, police, emergency services and other government organizations, have realized that customer service and attention to quality are important categories of the competitive market in recent decades (Siyadi Turanlo; Jamali; Jalalpour and Bafghi, 2017). Today, customer satisfaction [4] has become an important issue for organizations. Organizations are winners or losers based on the percentage of customers they retain (Fisikawa [5], 2004).      

1-1- Statement of the problem

Today's era is the era of customer orientation and audience-centricity, and the degree of success of any organization is directly related to the degree of attention it pays to the customer, his demands, and the quality of services and products (Mojibi Miklai, Zadeh Ashrafi and Emamifar, 2013). The modern international economy with features such as technological changes, integration of economic systems and global markets in fierce competition on the one hand has caused a series of threats and on the other hand has created a series of opportunities (Kulkarni [6], 2005). Paying attention to progress and improvement, raising the level of life and productivity has always been the desire of mankind, and man is the only creature on the planet whose way of life has never been the same as his past and has always had an evolutionary process, and this is a sign of his serious attention to concepts such as quality.

In line with concepts such as quality, comprehensive quality management was proposed. Today, total quality management is accepted as a new management paradigm by thinkers and professionals. The foundation of management thinking is based on continuous quality improvement, customer satisfaction and paying attention to the process instead of focusing on the result (Haji Sharif, 2016). Total quality management is a management philosophy that aims to use all the organization's resources, including employees, as the most effective factor in order to achieve the company's goals. The main focus of the comprehensive quality management system is to increase customer satisfaction "whether externally or internally" (Nikzadzaidi, 2013).

Nowadays, having the customer's side and providing superior service to clients is the most important concern of every organization and institution. Failure to achieve this means not making profit, not growing, not having a job and eventually losing the business. In the public sector, the issue is even more acute. Because the way of providing service in the private sector originates from the example of the public sector (Irannejad Parisi, 2014).

Today, customer satisfaction has become an important issue for organizations. Organizations are winners or losers based on the percentage of customers they retain. In a highly competitive environment, organizations that do not focus on the customer cannot survive. Most of the markets are very competitive, and in order to survive in these markets, organizations must provide the products and services required by customers with very high quality so that they can have loyal customers with a high level of satisfaction (Fessi Kava, 2004).

The lack of a comprehensive management model to maintain the quality of products can cause irreparable damages to customer-oriented companies and organizations. Because the relationship between comprehensive quality management in organizations and customer satisfaction has been raised by researchers (Manu[7], 2011, Pattanayak[8], 2010, Sit, Ooi, Lin and Chang, 2009) in recent years, but most organizations have faced many challenges in achieving this type of management. They gain market share through customer orientation can reduce customer satisfaction (Nonaka[9], 2008). Telecommunication companies, which are considered a service company, are very sensitive when it comes to quality, because they offer better products and services and acquire more customers. Companies that are able to gain more customers in the market will take a larger share of capital market profits and have less difficulty in competing with competitors (Tani-Nena, Pomalna and Sandstr?m [10], 2010).

Given the competition that telecommunication companies have with other organizations and institutions in gaining domestic market profits through attracting customer satisfaction, and considering the diversity of customers and the feedback obtained from customers' referrals to this company, as well as the problems that arise in Absence of a comprehensive quality management system and its effects on customer satisfaction can have the present research examines the impact of comprehensive quality management on customer satisfaction in the telecommunications company of Hormozgan province.