The goal of this exploration is to observationally test the connection between total quality management and SMEs’ performance. Specifically, it looks at whether organizational culture (OC) has an interceding impact on the TQMSMEs performance relationship. Established on the literature review of TQM, OC and SMEs performance, the theoretical model for this investigation was formed. A self-controlled survey was utilized to gather information from the SMEs owners-managers in the South-western region of Nigeria. In determining the relationship, SEM-PLS 3.0 was utilized. Measurable results add to the literature by showing a positive direct impact of TQM and OC on SMEs’ performance, and a critical and positive aberrant impact of TQM on SMEs’ performance through OC. The quantitative cross-sectional research configuration explored an example of assembling SMEs. Subjective methods or a contextual investigation approach for additional data examination could be utilized for subsequent research. The results of this exploration give awareness into SMEs’ owners-managers in the present unique manufacturing setting, concentrating on TQM as an instrument for improving their performance. The outcomes can help SMEs by giving direction with regards to the OC, on account of its impact on the effective execution of TQM, in this way improving the dimension of performance. The examination expands the TQM literature with an extensive comprehension of TQM from the point of view of SMEs in Nigeria. It fills the void in observational examinations that research the joint impact of TQM and OC on SMEs’ performance.

Introduction

By means of the swift development of the international economy, companies are confronting expanding pressure to accomplish and keep up functional distinction to advance their general performance and competitiveness (Gherardini et al., 2017; Kirkham et al., 2014). Internationally, organization, additionally, consistently encounter a changing in organizational culture, competitive market, with an expanded spotlight on progress in efficiency, quality, consumer loyalty, innovation in high-tech, political and fiscal unpredictability (Gadenne and Sharma, 2009; Maheshwari and Vohra, 2015). More than at any other time, organizations today can never again depend on their present business forms in an exceedingly competitive marketplace (Dubey and Gunasekaran, 2015; Ibidunni et al., 2017). They need to embrace and put into action new operation management performs, in order to continue to exits, which have been successful over the years (Zakuan et al., 2010). A standout amongst the most well-known types of contemporary operations management practice is Total Quality Management (TQM), which has gained widespread attention from both industry and academics over the last two decades Sinha (Haffar et al., 2017; Jimoh et al., 2019; Panuwatwanich and Nguyen, 2017; Salas-Arbel
aez et al., 2017; Sinha and Dhall, 2018). TQM is an integrative firm-wide management philosophy aimed at continuously improving the quality of the processes, products and services by focusing on meeting or exceeding customer expectations to enhance customer satisfaction and organizational performance (Baird et al., 2011; García-Bernal and Ramírez-Aleson, 2015
; Sadikoglu and Olcay, 2014).