Effects of Quality Management Systems on Performance of Kenya Ports Authority

Abstract- A quality management system improves organization’s performance through quality service delivery and production thus enabling organizations to have a competitive edge over its competitors. In order to be successful, Quality Management (QM) practices ought to be an integral part of any organization’s strategic management. Without proper monitoring of projects, poor quality of material use, and lack of proper site supervision due to inconsistent supervision may lead to poor performance in an organization. Communication is a vital tool in managing any form of business as it helps the organization in achieving its objectives. Documentation is also a limitation in the organization which deals with many stakeholders. Poorly kept records results into non-conformity due to delays caused by searching work records which are not well kept. This study aimed at determining the effects of Quality Management System (QMS) on performance of Kenya Ports Authority. A target population totaling to 7,500 personnel from whom sample size of 116 was randomly selected from the sampled departments was used to build a basis for the research. The researcher used multi-stage cluster sampling from the sample population to achieve the desired representation from various divisions within the organization. Questionnaires, interviews and observations were used to gather the required information. A descriptive analysis was done with the help of a statistical tool. It was evident that QMS has a great positive impact on the performance of an organization through service delivery and quality production, thus giving an organization a competitive edge in the market