Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Tool for Sustainable Customer Loyalty in a Competitive Environment: A Critical Review

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a set of guiding principles and philosophies that represents the underpinning of an excellent organization. It ensures the survival of firms in the competitive economy. In view of this, this paper seeks to show how the implementation of TQM serves as a precursor to sustainable customer loyalty in the competitive business environment by utilizing the manufacturing industry In Nigeria. A structured approach was used to determine the source of materials for review and reviewed articles were combined to develop propositions in this paper. Based on the literature reviewed, the factors necessary for the satisfactory implementation of TQM were identified and these include; top management commitment, continuous improvement on the product, team-work, training of employees and control. A conceptual model was also developed to show how total quality management (TQM) can affect customer’s loyalty. Thus, managers should ensure they define quality policy and develop specific measurable goals to meet customers’ expectations and to improve organizational performance.