2024
Vol. 7, No. 1
Systematic failure of Nigerian manufacturing companies to perform optimally has been blamed more often on the lack of the quality management framework. Though there is increasing academic interest in the relationship between quality management practices and various dimensions of operational performance in the sub-Saharan African manufacturing industry, the evidence is scanty and contextually deficient. Therefore, the study focused on the relationship between quality management practices and operational performance of manufacturing firms in Rivers State Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey design was used and a sample of 237 employees of manufacturing firms in Rivers State was taken. The data was gathered using the self-administered and structured questionnaire with a five point likert scale. This study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to validate the measurement model and test hypotheses. The hypotheses were rejected at the 0.001 level of significance for all four. The results confirm the value of quality management practices in the manufacturing sector and highlight the importance of institutionalised improvement cultures and participatory management systems. The study recommended that policy makers and managers in Rivers State need to seriously invest in quality infrastructure and employee empowerment programmes to boost up the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry.
