Abstract: The study aims to determine whether customers are satisfied with the goods produced by the food and beverage industry of Jordan, and to determine whether the practices of soft total quality management by these firms affect the satisfaction level of the customers of these firms. To achieve these two objectives, a questionnaire had been developed and self-administered to a sample consisting of 84 respondents among the employees of different departments and administrative levels of the food and beverage industry. Several descriptive statistics were used in data analysis, including the mean and the standard deviation. Employing the simple and multiple linear regression methods, the results showed that the customers of food and beverage firms in Jordan are moderately satisfied. In addition, the results revealed that the above-mentioned types of soft total quality management practices, each of which has a positive and significant impact on Customers’ satisfaction, with different degrees. The results determine that the entire soft practices, as a one package, affect customer satisfaction. The study recommends more focus of future research to be directed toward the food and beverage industry, especially because the products of this industry have a direct effect on the health of people.

Keywords: Soft Total Quality Management, Customer Satisfaction, Leadership Commitment, Employee Empowerment, Customer Focus, and Effective Communication

Pages: 127-143