QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CONSUMERS’ SATISFACTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL FIRMS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined quality management practices and Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms’ products in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study developed four objectives to; determine the effect of top management commitment, employee continuous training, customer focus and continuous improvement on Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms in Anambra State, Nigeria. Similarly four research questions and hypotheses are formulated in line with the objectives. This research work was anchored on the resource-based view of the firm and adopted the survey research design. The method for data collection was questionnaire which was administered to the employees of the selected firms. The population of the study was 4616 employee with a sample size of three hundred and ninety-nine (399) employees. The hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis method at 0.05% level of significance. The results of the study revealed that, top management commitment positively influences Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms in Anambra State, Nigeria (r2=.52, p=.000); Employee continuous training positively influences Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms in Anambra State, Nigeria (t=7.162, p=.000); There is a positive relationship between customers focus Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms in Anambra State, Nigeria (t=2.840, p=.005); Continuous improvement/process management positively influences Consumers’ Satisfaction of pharmaceutical firms in Anambra State, Nigeria (t=2.579, p=.010). The study therefore concludes that there is significant positive effect on quality management practices on distribution of pharmaceutical products in Anambra State. The study recommended that top management of pharmaceutical firms are therefore recommends to create and communicate the organization’s quality policy/vision throughout the organization. Managements of pharmaceutical firms should endeavor to establish a proper customer complaint information system which should be made available to managers thereby enhancing the degree of the use of customer feedback to improve product quality/customer satisfaction