Abstract

The research seeks to examine the effects of Total Quality Management on the performance of small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria. The objective of this paper was to examine the relationship and contributions of Total Quality Management (TQM) to the performance of small and medium scale enterprises in the Nigeria economy. The researchers used primary data collected from selected SMEs that have operated over 5 years. A survey research design particularly the expost facto research design was adopted to conduct the research. The analysis of data was done using Ztest. The finding reveals that most SMEs owners in Nigeria lack knowledge of Total Quality Management (TQM) principles and its application in their Enterprises , while the very few SMEs like Dangote groups of companies that is aware of TQM lack the knowhow on how best to apply TQM in their daily operations. The study therefore recommends among others that entrepreneurs should attend certificates courses on the meaning, principles and application of TQM from the department of entrepreneurial studies in all the universities in Nigeria, including foreigners that want to do business in Nigeria.

Key words: Total Quality Management, Performance, Small and Medium Scale