Impact of Total Quality Management Practices on Customer Retention and Satisfaction: A Study on Waitrose

Dissertation
(Impact of total quality management practices on
retention and satisfaction of customers)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Main purpose of this dissertation is to identifying the impact of total quality management
practices on retention and satisfaction of customers within Waitrose. Waitrose is a selected
organisation for this dissertation or research topic. In order to accomplish dissertation purpose,
different activities were completed effectively by the researcher. Literature review introduces as
main activity that was done by investigator with the use of secondary sources which are articles,
magazines, books, publication research etc. These are more effective and useful secondary
resources that were used for collecting secondary data for literature review about the current
study. By completing literature review, research methodology has been done with the better use
of different methods such as quantitative research, deductive approach, positivism philosophy,
questionnaire, probability sampling etc. All these are effective methods used within a dissertation
for collecting primary and quantitative data about the total quality management and its impact
over customer’s satisfaction and retention. For data analysis and discussion, content analysis as
an analytical tool was followed for analysing quantitative information easily. MS-Excel also
used for making graphs on each questions within questionnaire in data analysis and discussion
chapter. At last conclusion and recommendations, all information of dissertation was described
in concise way. Recommendations were done by providing suggestions to the company about the
topic that resulted in better growth and success of business.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................5
Overview of the topic..................................................................................................................5
Background of the organisation...................................................................................................5
Aim of the Research....................................................................................................................6
Question of the Research.............................................................................................................6
Sub-questions of research............................................................................................................6
Objectives of the Research..........................................................................................................6
Research rational.........................................................................................................................6
Overview of the structure of dissertation.....................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................9
Explain about the concept of total quality management practices in context of an organisation?
.....................................................................................................................................................9
What are the main principles of total quality management and their impacts on business
performance of Waitrose?..........................................................................................................10
What are the different strategies may be use by Waitrose for retaining and satisfying
customer’s needs towards their product or brand?....................................................................10
What are the relationship between total quality management practices and customer’s
retention and satisfaction?.........................................................................................................11
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................13
Research Philosophy:.................................................................................................................13
Research approach:....................................................................................................................13
Research strategy:......................................................................................................................13
Research choice:........................................................................................................................14
Time Horizon:............................................................................................................................14
Data collection and data analysis:..............................................................................................14
Sampling:...................................................................................................................................15
Research instruments:................................................................................................................15
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Research Ethics:.........................................................................................................................15
Research reliability and validity:...............................................................................................15
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION..............................................................17
Discussion......................................................................................................................................28
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................32
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................32
Recommendation.......................................................................................................................33
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................34
Appendix........................................................................................................................................37
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................37
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of the topic
Total quality management refers to the continual and systematic process of reducing and
detecting or eliminating errors within manufacturing, enhancing the customer experience,
streamlining supply chain management, and making sure that workers are up to speed within
training (Alananzeh and et. al., 2018). Main aim of total quality management is to hold entire
parties involved within the production process and have responsible for the entire quality of the
final product or service. For this dissertation Waitrose is a chosen organisation that specialise in
selling of groceries. Along with this, quality is essential in the customer’s mind for the reason
that it influences the choice in buying that product. Product quality is one which helps an
organisation in fulfilment of customer’s needs and demand absolutely and which is completed
right the first time itself.
Quality management is important to effective and efficient operations management,
especially continuous management. Total quality management is the recent advancement in
quality that has resulted in advancements to operations management. Therefore Total quality
management is a systematic and important approach to management that purpose to improve
value to clients by designing as well as continually enhancing organisational systems and
process. The focuses are on involvement and empowerment of employee along with customers
and their satisfaction as the crucial point (Ali and Raza, 2017).
Background of the organisation
This dissertation is based on Waitrose that is a brand of British supermarkets. It was
founded in 1904 by Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose, and David Taylor and headquartered in
Bracknell, Berkshire, and Victoria, London, United Kingdom. Waitrose is the most innovative,
largest and successful chain of supermarket in the world because they differentiating from its
competitors themselves by providing excellent customer service and high quality in its products.
Waitrose is loyal to bring the best and high quality of food to their customers. Their prices of
products are at a premium that resulted in higher based of customers and improved brand image.
It has developed its strong reputation on its quality as well as the freshness of the products. Their
targeted market is the high income earners and its stores are located in affluent areas.
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Aim of the Research
Main aim of this dissertation is “To identify the impact of total quality management practices on
retention and satisfaction of customers: A study on Waitrose.
Question of the Research
 How total quality management practices have impacts over customer’s satisfaction and
retention within Waitrose?
Sub-questions of research
 Explain about the concept of total quality management practices in context of an
organisation?
 What are the main principles of total quality management and their impacts on business
performance of Waitrose?
 What are the different strategies may be use by Waitrose for retaining and satisfying
customer’s needs towards their product or brand?
 What are the relationship between total quality management practices and customer’s
retention and satisfaction?
Objectives of the Research
 To develop basis understanding about the total quality management practices in context
of an organisation.
 To identify the principles of total quality management and its impact on business
performance of Waitrose.
 To explore different strategies by which Waitrose can easily retain and satisfy their
customers towards product or brand.
 To identify the relationship between total quality management practices and customer’s
retention and satisfaction.
Research rational
Main rational behind selecting this topic is to analysis the impact of total quality
management practices on retention and satisfaction of customers. This topic is important because
it will helps management of an organisation by educating about the importance of total quality
management practices in increasing satisfaction level of customers and reducing high turnover of
customers. Total quality management is an essential topic or part for an organisation because it
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emphasising the needs of market, assure better quality performance, assist in checking non-
productive and waste activity, valuable is meeting the competitions etc. Therefore this research is
essential in identification to impact of total quality management practices for an organisation in
retention of customers and fulfilment of their satisfaction level (Allan, 2016).
Overview of the structure of dissertation
This is a significant part of the dissertation that includes summary of entire chapters apart
from their purpose within a report. There are different numbers of chapters that will be explained
as below:
Chapter 1: Introduction: This is a first activity or part of dissertation that includes some
important aspects that are valuable and necessary in doing dissertation systematically. These
aspects are overview of the topic, background of company, research aim, objectives, questions,
rationale, significance etc. All these aspects help in identification of topic deeply and accurately.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: This is a second chapter that is based on secondary data and
which is collected from number of secondary sources such as magazines, books, articles,
publication research etc. Main purpose of literature review is to fulfil research gaps by using sub-
questions of the study (Antunes, Quirós and Justino, 2017).
Chapter 3: Research methodology: This is another main chapter that has number of
methods such as research approach, research philosophy, data collection methods, research
strategy etc. These are useful within an investigation for collecting primary information about the
current study or topic. Main purpose of research methodology is to helps researcher in gathering
as well as analysing of data from number of suitable and useful methods.
Chapter 4: Data analysis and discussion: This is another part of the dissertation that
support researcher in analysing and discussing of primary data and its relation with the secondary
data gathered for the literature review section. For analysing data, MS-Excel will be used for
making graphs effectively. Content analysis has been used for analysing quantitative information
for current investigation because this will helps in analysing of data within less time duration and
in effective manner.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendation: This is a last chapter or activity of
dissertation that includes entire information of dissertation in clear and short way. This chapter
helps researcher in identification of achievement of research aim and objectives.
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Recommendation has been made for recommending different ways for an organisation about the
topic (Awan and Farhan, 2016).
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