ADOPTION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT: THE CASE OF ETHIOPIAN UNIVERSITIES

Quality Management is a process wherein maintenance of quality is done over time in order to improve in the performance of the organization. Ethiopia's higher education institutions suffer from challenges such as lack of management commitment, inappropriate funding, poor vision and plan statement, and lack of qualified professionals. However, with the formation of agencies like HERQA, the government is working towards meeting international competitiveness, deriving accountability and transparency in the process and raising quality assurance. For this usage of quality management models like Six Sigma, ISO9000, Malcolm Baldridge, TQM, and EFQM is promoted. Considering this need of adopting quality management system, this study focused on examining the contribution of adapting quality management system on the higher education quality. Herein, analysis of 472 students and teachers, and 20 quality assurance unit heads from 11 different higher educational institutions and senior experts from system level of Ethiopia was done. Quantitative analysis of students shows that there is gender diversity present in the institutions for accessibility of education and adaption of quality management system activities like good laboratory facilities, availability of career guidance, learning facility, and regular innovation contributes in raising higher education quality. Qualitative analysis support these results and state that quality management increases resource utilization capacity, and contributes in continuous assessment. Thus, quality management system adaptation is essential and institutions should focuses on strategies like unique regulatory body, workshops and training, and smart learning mechanism for effective implementation of quality management models.