Assessing the Moderating Role of Supervisor Support in Amplifying Total Quality Management Practices and Project Performance within Pakistan’s Manufacturing Sector Post-Covid19: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This empirical research investigates the interplay between Total Quality Management (TQM), Project Performance (PP), and Supervisor Support (SS) within the context of post-Covid-19 pandemic manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The study involved the development and distribution of a questionnaire to manufacturing industries located in federal area of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and northern Punjab, Pakistan. Upon scrutinizing the collected data, the research revealed a noteworthy and positive correlation between Total Quality Management and Project Performance. Out of 195 distributed questionnaires, 131 responses were received. Interestingly, while global literature commonly asserts that Supervisor Support serves as a beneficial moderator in the relationship between Total Quality Management and Project Performance, the study’s findings in the Pakistani manufacturing sector suggested a different reality. Specifically, supervisors were perceived as providing insufficient support to their subordinates in matters of quality. Some employees also highlighted that their organizations struggled to implement TQM practices fully, occasionally breaching cost and time constraints in projects; nevertheless, these organizations remained highly profitable. Overall, it suggests that manufacturing industries in Pakistan may benefit from prioritizing Supervisor Support within the framework of Total Quality Management to enhance their overall performance and production efficiency.