An Exploratory Study on Types and Levels of Technological Innovation in Fashion Companies

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the types and levels of technological innovation in fashion companies at different growth stages. For this purpose, this study used qualitative research methods. Qualitative research was conducted through in-depth interviews with 20 experts working for fashion companies, taking into account the supply chain within the fashion industry. The results of this study are as follows: First, the technological innovation types for fashion companies are divided into exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation. Second, the levels of technological innovation are found to differ according to the category of fashion companies. Generally, the fashion companies show higher levels of exploitative innovation than exploratory innovation. Third, the types and levels of technological innovation differ according to the growth stages for fashion companies. It is found that the companies in the high growth stage concentrate more on exploratory technological innovation, such as the development of new products and product diversification.