The Effect of Artisan's and Business Attributes on Arc Welding Quality

ABSTRACT The quality of products from the MSE sector is affected by both the artisan s and business attributes. Although many studies have been conducted to establish the constraints to business growth in the MSE sector, no specific study has been conducted to find out how the artisan s and business attributes affect the quality of arc welding in the metalwork sub-sector. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the relationship between the effect of the selected factors on the quality of arc welding in the small-scale metalwork sub-sector. Eight groups with a total of 72 artisans (36 with secondary education and 36 with primary education) were selected for evaluation. A structured questionnaire and a product design to be fabricated were used in the study. The questionnaire was used to get information regarding the artisan s attributes and business characteristics. The fabricated product was assessed and scores awarded based on the quality of arc welding. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and excel spreadsheet. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for comparisons of means using the LSD method at an alpha level of 5% were done.

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QUALIFICATIONS:.PhD degree from Open University of Tanzania (OUT), .MSc in Mechanical Engineering from UK, .Advanced Studies Certificate in Mechanical EngineerPRESENT EMPLOYMENT- Senior Lecturer Multimedia University College of Kenya