Abstract
The aim of this paper is to assess the mediating effect of total quality management on the relationship between co-ordination mechanisms and quality service delivery in Uganda’s Local Governments. The findings of this paper are based on a sample of 212 Local Governments in Uganda whose heads of department and section heads formed the unit of inquiry. The paper utilises Med Graph programme, Sobel tests, and Kenny and Baron procedure to test for the mediation effects of total quality management on the relationship between co-ordination mechanisms and quality service delivery in local governments. The findings of the study revealed that total quality management is a significant mediator in the relationship between co-ordination mechanisms and quality service delivery, and heighten the relationship by 29.5% in Uganda’s Local Governments. A partial type of mediation was established. The study was limited by the fact that it relied on cross sectional research design. Future studies could consider assessing similar mediation effects but taking a longitudinal approach. The findings of this study inform management of the necessity to give due attention to total quality management principles in their multi level endeavours to improve on the quality of services that they offer. Key words: Mediation, co-ordination mechanisms, local governments, total quality management, quality service delivery.
Highlights
The New Public Management waves of the 1980s in public sector organisations that were in part a response to the ills of traditional bureaucratic paradigm of public administration (Stoker, 2006), have made provision of quality services that meet customer preferences a topical and recurring issue (Hung et al, 2003)
The findings of this study reveal that co-ordination, works through Total Quality Management in influencing the quality of services that Local Governments deliver
Given the fact that the standardized beta coefficients of co-ordination are not reduced to zero once Total Quality Management is introduced, this points to partial type of mediation and the necessity for Local Government Management not to totally abandon co-ordination mechanism considering its greater influence on the quality of services that Local Government deliver to its clients
Summary
The New Public Management waves of the 1980s in public sector organisations that were in part a response to the ills of traditional bureaucratic paradigm of public administration (Stoker, 2006), have made provision of quality services that meet customer preferences a topical and recurring issue (Hung et al, 2003) This has as well posed a challenge in the contemporary service delivery institutions (Hung et al, 2003). The Ugandan Government has embraced a series of reforms like decentralisation, legislative reforms, performance contract management, and formulation of client charters all geared towards generation of quality services that are compatible with citizen preferences (Office of the Prime Minister, 2005) Despite these interventions like the case globally, quality service delivery is still elusive (African Development Bank, 2003). A study by Uganda Bureau of Statistics on quality of services that Local Governments deliver, revealed poor quality services (National Service Delivery Survey Report, 2008)
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