Total Quality Management Practices in Multi-Awarded Cooperatives in Northern Negros: A Mixed Method Study

Total Quality Management (TQM) was the cooperative’s coordinated and continuous effort to improve operations by integrating customer focus, leadership, employee involvement, process management, factual decision-making, continuous improvement, and relationship management to achieve excellence and sustainability. This study aimed to (1) explore cooperative members’ experiences of TQM practices and (2) measure the extent of these practices in two multi-awarded multi-purpose cooperatives in Northern Negros. A sequential-exploratory approach, mixed-methods design was employed, where a qualitative case study was followed by a quantitative descriptive-comparative phase. In the qualitative phase, fourteen (14) conversation partners (seven per cooperative)—officers, department managers, employees, and active members— participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Creswell’s seven-step qualitative analysis. In the quantitative phase, the population included 6,935 members in MPC-A and 1,647 members in MPC-B. Using Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling, 675 respondents (364 from MPC-A; 311 from MPC-B) were selected. The survey instrument was derived from qualitative themes and showed acceptable content validity (CVI = 0.793) and excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.972). Findings showed strong implementation through responsive member service, transparent and values-driven leadership, teamwork and training support, clear procedures, coordinated work implementation, evidence-based decisions, innovation, and generally positive relationships rooted in trust and cooperative identity. However, recurring issues included monitoring lapses, communication gaps (including interest-rate concerns), uneven meeting participation, planning delays, workload/resource constraints, technology adaptation challenges, and weakened discipline after ISO monitoring was discontinued. Results indicated that all seven TQM principles were practiced to a very high extent, with the highest ratings in service quality, organizational values, support systems, decision-making, financial management, goal orientation, and organizational improvement. Relatively lower means appeared in business activity, leadership role, organizational meetings, planning, experience duration, and challenges encountered. Relationship management also remained very high with no significant differences across membership type, tenure, or position. TQM practices were consistently strong across the cooperatives, but strengthening monitoring, communication, participation, planning, and system/technology sustainability was recommended through the proposed Quality Excellence Sustainability Program (QESP).