Modeling Total Quality Management Framework for Higher Education Institutions in Ghana

Abstract

The aim of this study is to model an appropriate Total Quality Management (TQM) framework for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developed and developing countries particularly Ghana. The driving force for this study is the low-quality standards that most public universities in Ghana have compromised over the past years. However, they are known as the best standards for most private institutions. This situation called for the need for the researchers to embark on this study. Empirical studies of TQM and TQM frameworks in HEIs was conducted. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The case study design was also used to describe and access the phenomenon. Purposive sampling technique was used to select fifteen (15) Quality Assurance Officials from three public HEIs in Ghana. A sample size of 400 respondents were used for the analysis of the quantitative data. The qualitative data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings from the study aided in a rigorous analysis to model an Academic Quality (ACQ) framework which was not done by prior studies. Key findings were verified and validated based on the ACQ model. Finally, the verification of the ACQ model indicated that it is workable and so HEIs can adopt for it usage.