Strategic Implementation of the PDCA and 5S Concepts to Improve the Productivity of the Informal Welding Industry in Kumasi, Ghana

Peggy Ama Fening ORCID iD, Isaac Kwabena Agyei ORCID iD, Charles Adu-Boachie ORCID iD  and Cyril Etornam Adala ORCID iD 

Issue: Vol.4  No.11  Article 5  pp.1368 – 1379
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234115 |   Published online 10th November, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Views: 499
295 Downloads

DOWNLOAD PDF

The informal welding industry is one of the major SMEs in Ghana. The industry is however confronted with a lot of challenges which, therefore, can be addressed by the use of Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) and 5S concepts. This study evaluated the benefits of the PDCA and 5S concepts as strategic tools for improving the performance of the informal welding industry in Kumasi, Ghana, by using the exploratory research technique. The PDCA and 5S concepts were implemented for a period of six months using 50 welder industries selected by the stratified random sampling procedure. The diagnosis of the current state of the industry was initially measured through performance indicators generated through questionnaires, interviews and direct observations. The design of the solution strategy was then implemented using the concepts to mitigate the challenges previously identified. This was followed by data collection to monitor the performance of the study factors. The results showed a significant (66%) general improvement in the cleanliness of the work environment, work safety and health of workers of all the study workshops. There was also a general decrease in defective products, and reduction in raw material waste and an enhanced aesthetic value of products. A total of over 17 productivity variables were evaluated out of which 11 saw between 4% and 96 % improvement, which in all translated into boosting the morale of workers and customer confidence. The study contributes to the paradigm shift of SMEs to modern management systems for enhanced performance and competitiveness.

Keywords: Continuous Improvement, Ghana, Informal Welding, Operational Excellence, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), Strategic Implementation

Abaza, Mona. “Shifting Landscapes of Fashion in Contemporary Egypt.” Fashion Theory 11, no. 2–3 (2007): 281–97.

Afolayan, Funso. Culture and Customs of South Africa. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004.

Alexandersson, Elin, and Rasha Matlak. “Cultural Differences in Fashion Magazines: Targeting Vogue,” 2017.

Bhandari, Nilesh, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, Luis Rocha-Lona, Anil Kumar, Farheen Naz, and Rohit Joshi. “Barriers to Sustainable Sourcing in the Apparel and Fashion Luxury Industry.” Sustainable Production and Consumption 31 (2022): 220–35.

Correia Adinolfi, Maisa, Tembi Tichaawa, and Gugulethu Banda. “The Importance of the Fashion Industry in the South African Tourism Context” 37 (August 31, 2018): 239–52.

Creswell, John W, and Cheryl N Poth. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches. Sage publications, 2016.

Dube, Mbusiseni Celimpilo. “The Tourism Potential of Zululand North of the Tugela River with Special Reference to Zulu Culture and History,” 2011.

Efremov, Jordan, Marija Kertakova, and Kuzmanovska Vangja Dimitrijeva. “Expression of Personality through Dressing.” Tekstilna Industrija 69, no. 1 (2021): 28–35.

Elo, Satu, and Helvi Kyngäs. “The Qualitative Content Analysis Process.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 62, no. 1 (2008): 107–15.

Gatfield, Rowan C. “The Isimodeni Style: Traditional Beadwork, Zulu Trinket or South African Sartorial Tradition on Durban’s Golden Mile?” Anthropology Southern Africa 42, no. 2 (2019): 127–48.

Gazzola, Patrizia, Enrica Pavione, Roberta Pezzetti, and Daniele Grechi. “Trends in the Fashion Industry. The Perception of Sustainability and Circular Economy: A Gender/Generation Quantitative Approach.” Sustainability 12, no. 7 (2020): 2809.

Gleimius, Nita, Emma Mthimunye, and Evelina Subanyoni. The Zulu of Africa. Lerner Publications, 2002.

Howlett, Neil, Karen Pine, Ismail Orakçıoğlu, and Ben Fletcher. “The Influence of Clothing on First Impressions: Rapid and Positive Responses to Minor Changes in Male Attire.” Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal 17, no. 1 (2013): 38–48.

Hsieh, Hsiu-Fang, and Sarah E Shannon. “Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis.” Qualitative Health Research 15, no. 9 (2005): 1277–88.

Leech, Nancy L, and Anthony J Onwuegbuzie. “An Array of Qualitative Data Analysis Tools: A Call for Data Analysis Triangulation.” School Psychology Quarterly 22, no. 4 (2007): 557.

Magwaza, Thenjiwe. “The Conceptualisation of Zulu Traditional Female Dress in the Post-Apartheid Era.” Kunapipi 24, no. 1/2 (2002): 193–204.

Mandarić, Doroteja, Anica Hunjet, and Dijana Vuković. “The Impact of Fashion Brand Sustainability on Consumer Purchasing Decisions.” Journal of Risk and Financial Management 15, no. 4 (2022): 176.

Manyeneng, Motshidisi Shawn, and Owen Seda. “Sincerity, Authenticity and the Artistic Imperative in Contemporary Zulu Indlamu Costume.” In 8th International DEFSA Conference . Durban: Design Education Forum of Southern Africa, 2019.

Mchunu, Khaya. “Matri-Archive, Creativity, and Beadwork: Toward an Inclusive Design Process.” Design and Culture 15, no. 3 (2023): 367–91.

Mkhwanazi, Nomthandazo Annaglad. “Ukubaluleka Kwemvunulo Yomdabu Osikompilweni Lwabantu Besifazane Abangamazulu Basendaweni Yakwanobamba (Weenen).” University of Kwazulu Natal, 2013.

Mtshali, Mduduzi. “Interrogating the Synthesis of African Traditional Rituals and Spirituality in Contemporary South African Dance: Critical Reflections on the Dance Work of Vincent Mantsoe, Moeketsi Koena, and My Own Work.” University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2020.

Mtshelwane, Debrah, Lizelle Brink, and Jan Alewyn Nel. “Impression Management within the Zulu Culture: Exploring Tactics in the Work Context.” SA Journal of Industrial Psychology 42, no. 1 (2016): 1–13.

Mukwevho, M H, and K J Khosa. “A Quest for Cultural Emancipation through Traditional Attire in Mphambo Village, Vhembe District of South Africa.” Anthropologist 33, no. 1–3 (2018): 59–66.

Naidu, Maheshvari. “Indigenous Cultural Bodies in Tourism: An Analysis of Local ‘Audience’Perception of Global Tourist Consumers.” Journal of Social Sciences 26, no. 1 (2011): 29–39.

Nkumane, Grace. “The Traditional Dress of the Zulu Woman: A Return to the Roots.” In Indigenous Knowledge Conference, 104, 2001.

Nowell, Lorelli S, Jill M Norris, Deborah E White, and Nancy J Moules. “Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 16, no. 1 (2017): 1609406917733847.

Pozzo, Barbara. “Fashion between Inspiration and Appropriation.” Laws 9, no. 1 (2020): 5.

Radebe, Zanele Lucia, and C M Van der Bank. “Exploring Alternative Views on the Western Miniskirt and Isigcebhezana in the Patriarchal Zulu Culture of South Africa.” Gender and Behaviour 14, no. 3 (2016): 7733–63.

Reddy, Sertanya. “» Styling The Self: Fashion As An Expression Of Cultural Identity In a Global World «.” Diakses Pada 28 (2009).

Siregar, Yuri, Anthony Kent, Anne Peirson-Smith, and Congying Guan. “Disrupting the Fashion Retail Journey: Social Media and GenZ’s Fashion Consumption.” International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 2023.

Tandy, Marcia. “Mass Media’s Cultivation Effect on Traditional Cultural Attire: Quantitatively Describing Downstream Shifts in the Social Identity of Tertiary Students Using Questionnaires.” The IIE, 2020.

Whelan, Deborah. “Changing Zuluness: Capturing the Mercurial Indigenous Vernacular Architecture of the Eastern Seaboard of Southern Africa.” Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 2006, 71–82.

Winters, Marcus A. “Understanding the Gap in Special Education Enrollments Between Charter and Traditional Public Schools.” Educational Researcher 44, no. 4 (May 1, 2015): 228–36. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X15584772.

Yende, Sakhiseni Joseph, and Vusabantu Ngema. “Indlamu: An Image of Zulu Upper-Class Culture of the Past.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no. 3 (March 17, 2023): 300–311. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234310.

Zondi, Nokwanda Bathabile. “A Dissection of the Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Act 6 of 2019: Substantive Issues and Foreseeable Consequences for Creative Industries in South Africa.” Faculty of Law, 2021.

Zungu, Bonisile Pretty Khethiwe. “Meaning behind the Use and Wearing of Traditional Beadwork at Msinga Area.” University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2000.

Dr. Peggy Ama Fening is a Senior Lecturer, at the Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – Kumasi Ghana. She is a former Head of  Department and Sectional Coordinator. Her research interest  includes jewellery and metalsmithing with special focus on combining traditional working processes with contemporary practices.

Dr. Isaac Kwabena Agyei is an astute Senior Lecturer, metal artist, and an exceptional academic figure in the Metals Section of the Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – Kumasi Ghana. His specialty is in design and fabrication of metal products, aesthetics and industrial casting methods. He has thought at the Section in his capacity as a Technical Instructor and a Lecturer respectively for about 10 years. He has a lot of research papers to his credit. He is currently working on series of designs of metal souvenirs for KNUST which will serve as a design Bank for the institution. Dr. Agyei obtained his first, second and Ph.D. degrees at KNUST.

Charles Adu-Boachie is a Lecturer and researcher at the Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – Kumasi Ghana . He has more than fifteen years of experience, teaching several courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Supervised more than 25 theses/research projects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. With a good background in industrial practice, and having worked earlier as a technical instructor, the focus has always been the need and the means to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the area of metalsmithing and its jewellery subsector.

Cyril Etornam Adala is a Lecturer in Jewellery and Metalsmithing in the Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He graduated in 2003 with First Class Honours in Art, (Industrial Art, Metal Products Design), from the same institution. In 2005, he enrolled into post-graduate programme in the Department of Industrial Art, KNUST, and completed in 2009 with a Master of Fine Art Degree in Jewellery and Metalsmithing as the sole pioneer of the programme.

Fening, Peggy Ama, Agyei, Isaac Kwabena,  Adu-Boachie, Charles and Adala, Cyril Etornam. “Strategic Implementation of the PDCA and 5S Concepts to Improve the Productivity of the Informal Welding Industry in Kumasi, Ghana.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.11 (2023): 1368 – 1379. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234115

© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Articles in this Issue

About Journal