Deployment of Total Quality Management (TQM) in Small Service Businesses: Experience from Swaziland

This study attempted to identify the TQM practices in three different types of small businesses, examining the difference between them by analyzing their commonalities with respect to their implementation as applicable to both the sectors. The methodology adopted was critically examining the literature on total quality management (TQM) practices followed by service sector.  Data was collected from a sample of 92 service firms selected randomly in Manzini and Mbabane regions, of which completed questionnaires received were 17 in financial services firms, 28 in businesses in food service and 47 in people - oriented services. The instrument used included a 5-point Likert scales, representing a range of attitudes from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The instrument was distributed to managers of the firms for completion. The findings showed no significant difference in the level of TQM practices.  Although firms in all categories indicated that their respective management was committed to TQM practices, however, its implementation was still lacking.