Sustainable Total Quality Management Practices and Business Competitive Advantage Amidst Global Pressures

The hospitality industry is increasingly concerned with sustainability and service quality, but little is known about how sustainable TQM practices affect the long-term competitiveness of small and medium-sized hospitality enterprises in emerging economies, particularly in African urban contexts like Lagos, Nigeria. TQM studies have focused on large organisations and manufacturing sectors, but hospitality SMEs operating under economic volatility, environmental pressure, infrastructural challenges, and changing customer expectations have received little attention. This study addresses this gap by investigating how sustainable TQM practises improve the competitiveness of hospitality SMEs in Lagos within a globalised, sustainability-conscious business environment. Continuous improvement, customer focus, employee involvement, and leadership commitment are examined as factors in long-term organisational competitiveness and business performance. Our mixed-method study combined survey data from 120 hospitality SMEs with semi-structured interviews with 15 managers. Sustainable TQM processes boost service quality, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, loyalty, and organisational reputation. The study also shows that employee training, environmental responsibility, and quality-centred organisational culture boost business success and societal value. The research theoretically integrates sustainability and TQM frameworks for hospitality SMEs in emerging economies. To help hospitality managers balance profitability, service quality, environmental responsibility, and long-term competitiveness, the study offers practical recommendations. Adding sustainability to TQM processes can help hospitality SMEs become more resilient, according to the study.