Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chain Performance through Total Quality Management: The Role of Organisational Culture
Volume 04, Issue 1
Authors
Isaac Opoku-Fofie • John Amoah • David Asante • Kofi Kwarteng •
Keywords
Total Quality Management, Quality Culture, Sustainable Supply Chain Performance, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
Citation in APA style
Opoku-Fofie, I., Amoah, J., Asante, D. & Kwarteng, K. (2026). Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chain Performance through Total Quality Management: The Role of Organisational Culture. Journal of Business Sectors, 4(1), 78–90. https://doi.org/10.62222/VCHC1345
DOI
Abstract
Research background:
Manufacturing SMEs in emerging markets face increasing pressure to improve supply chain sustainability while maintaining cost efficiency and product quality. Total Quality Management (TQM) practices are frequently proposed as a means of strengthening sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP), yet evidence on which specific practices matter most–and under what organizational conditions–remains mixed. In particular, the role of quality culture as a contextual enabler of SSCP has received limited empirical attention in sub-Saharan African manufacturing settings.
Purpose of the article:
This paper examines the effects of TQM practices and quality culture on sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) in manufacturing SMEs in Ghana. It also tests whether quality culture moderates the relationships between specific TQM practices and SSCP.
Methods:
The study adopts a quantitative research design using survey data from 400 senior managers in manufacturing SMEs in Ghana. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is employed to estimate the relationships among TQM practices, quality culture, and SSCP, and to assess the moderating effects of quality culture on selected TQM–SSCP linkages.
Findings & Value added:
The results show that TQM practices–excluding quality assessment–have significant positive effects on SSCP. Quality culture is also positively associated with SSCP and moderates the effects of strategic planning, supplier quality management, and information analysis on SSCP. The study extends the literature by providing evidence on the joint and conditional roles of TQM practices and quality culture in shaping SSCP in an emerging-market context. The findings offer actionable implications for policymakers and managers, indicating that SSCP improvements are more likely when TQM implementation is complemented by deliberate efforts to cultivate a strong quality-oriented culture across supplier networks.