Quality control as a means of standardization in the cocoa industry: A case on Quality Control Company Limited, Tarkwa District Ghana.
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ashesi University
Abstract
This paper brings to the fore some unresolved quality-related challenges which the quality control agencies face along the cocoa value chain. The research questions are (i) What are the main problems faced by the quality control officers of COCOBOD during quality checks before cocoa is exported? and (ii) How have the problems identified by quality control officers impacted the process of quality checks in Ghana's cocoa industry in recent times? The theoretical framework used in this paper is Total Quality Management (TQM). This paper is primary research that employs qualitative methods to gain in-depth insight into quality control and its effects on the cocoa industry of Ghana. Purposive sampling technique was used in this research to secure respondents for relevant interviews. The key insights from the paper are; some farmers in an attempt to make extra money dried to achieve the required weight of 64kg, the quality control officers host and teach farmers how to dry their beans but some farmers do not practice what they are taught entirely and the quality control officers work diligently but their rate of performance is slow because each officer has to meet a daily quotas. A recommendation is NIR Spectroscopy (Near-infrared) can be looked at as an alternative in checking the quality of cocoa beans in the future. These findings are important because if Ghana cocoa beans are to enjoy premiums continuously these findings should be addressed, and recommendations can be implemented.
Description
Undergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2022
item.page.type
Undergraduate Thesis
item.page.format
Keywords
Citation
Sey, E. (2022). Quality control as a means of standardization in the cocoa industry: A case on Quality Control Company Limited, Tarkwa District Ghana. Ashesi University.