TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM MAKURDI ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the effect of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices on organizational productivity at Makurdi Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), Nigeria. Specifically, it assesses the influence of top management commitment, employee involvement, continuous improvement, and customer focus. A cross-sectional survey design was used, targeting all 87 employees of MEDC, with 84 valid responses (96.6%) analyzed. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Results show that top management commitment significantly enhances productivity (β = 0.241, p = 0.005), continuous improvement is the strongest predictor (β = 0.276, p = 0.001), and customer focus positively influences productivity (β = 0.229, p = 0.003). Employee involvement, though positive, had a weaker effect (β = 0.198, p = 0.014). The overall model was statistically significant (F = 31.52, p = 0.000) and explained 61% of the variation in organizational productivity (R² = 0.610). The study concludes that TQM practices substantially improve organizational productivity in the electricity distribution sector. It recommends strengthening leadership commitment, institutionalizing continuous improvement, enhancing customer-focused strategies, and promoting effective employee participation to sustain performance gains.