Influence of iso 9001:2008 quality management systems on academic staff’s service delivery in teaching in public universities: an analytical study

The adoption of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems in education has become a debated issue on whether or not the certification is appropriate for the Education sector. Some scholars consider its adoption as a strategic decision by educational institutions to ensure delivery of quality service therein while others do not. Complaints by some academic staff in public universities in Kenya on the impact of ISO 9001:2008 quality management systems on teaching casts doubt on their level of satisfaction with it based on non conformities. For instance between 2012 and 2015 one of the public universities recorded 340 non-conformities and another 360 which were higher than those recorded in other certified public universities. That is, the other certified public universities recorded below 270 non-conformities in teaching. The objective of this study therefore was to establish the influence of ISO 9001:2008 quality management system on academic staff’s service delivery in teaching in public Universities in Kenya. The two public universities that had the highest non conformities were used as the site for the study. The study established that ISO 9001:2008 quality management systems had significant influence on teaching on academic staff’s delivery in teaching such that for every one unit increase in ISO 9001:2008 quality management system conformity in teaching, improved service delivery in teaching .882 units. This means that when non conformities decline there is improvement in academic staff’s service delivery in teaching in public universities. ISO 9001:2008 QMS was a significant predictor of academic staff’s service delivery in teaching (F (1,252) = 32.328, P<.05). The study concluded that ISO 9001:2008 quality management system improved service delivery in teaching in public universities. The study recommended that public universities should strive to minimize non conformities for excellent service delivery. The findings of this study provides information to lecturers, Kenya Bureau of Standards and University management on the way forward in improving teaching in public Universities.