An Assessment of Total Quality Management in Nigerian Private Universities

Abstract

This paper assessed total quality management (TQM) in Nigerian private universities. The specific objectives of the study evaluated total quality management practices implemented in Nigerian private universities; ascertained the quality problems in Nigerian private universities and investigated the degree of conformity of private universities in Nigeria to NUC predetermined quality standards. The study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative research design, which was based on a positivist research philosophy. The population for this study consisted of staff of The Department of Student and Academic Administration of the seventy-nine (79) private universities' in Nigeria. About the sample size, a sample of five hundred staff of The Department of Student and Academic Administration of the private universities (500) were chosen as the sample for the conduct of this study. Structured questionnaires adapted from existing TQM scales was used to collect primary data from the study respondents. Descriptive, reliability, and factor analysis was carried out on the collected data. Study findings revealed the quality management practices in Nigeria private universities to revolve around customer focus and satisfaction, quality leadership, quality information and analysis, Human resource development, strategic planning management, internal quality results, top management commitment, and process management. Study findings through factor analysis also revealed the nature of quality problems experienced by Nigerian private universities to revolve around improvement problem, administrative issues, structural problems, process design problems, unstructured performance problems, efficiency problems, and conformance problems. The study concludes from its investigation of the quality conformance of Nigerian private universities to predetermine standards that conformance to objectives of the university programs is essential in the measurement of TQM in Nigerian private universities, conformance to curriculum, teaching staff and quality ratio, student admission requirements, graduation requirements and conformance to standard of degree examination are important areas that Nigerian private universities have to pay attention to as evidenced from the study findings.