The effects of total quality management on customer service management in the Nigerian banking industry: an empirical analysis

This paper investigates the effectiveness of the critical success factors (CSFs) of total quality management (TQM) on customer service management (CSM) in the Nigerian banking industry. The empirical study was conducted via a survey on six, out of the 22 banks that have implemented TQM due to the 2004 consolidation exercise of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) 2001 award framework, factors manifesting customer service management were regressed on the key factors manifesting successful TQM. The results posit that, for TQM to be successfully implemented, workers must be allowed to set goals and performance monitoring, effective communication, commitment and support from the top management, careful alignment of corporate strategy with TQM strategy, clear and compelling TQM vision, constant review of TQM implementations to align with plans and budgets, effective process review and controls, quality improvement measurement systems and IT infrastructures. The model provides predictive implications on improved CSM, given the activities of CSFs manifesting successful TQM. Hence, to improve CSM, banks could control their TQM programme.