Bangladeshi Apparel Research Articles

Ergonomic compatibility between sewing workstation and Bangladeshi apparel workers.

Prolonged sitting with awkward posture during sewing results in musculoskeletal disorders among sewing operators. This study aimed to identify the compatibility of the sewing furniture with operators' anthropometry. Therefore, 13 anthropometric measurements of 368 sewing operators were collected and compared with sewing furniture dimensions. The results showed that all anthropometric measurements other than hip breadth were larger for male participants. In addition, statistical analysis performed on the collected data showed significant variation compared to the existing dimensions of sewing machines. Results also indicated a high mismatch for different dimensions of the sewing table and chair, such as seat height, seat width, seat depth, table depth, etc. For this reason, sewing operators often experience musculoskeletal disorders. Finally, this study recommends some guidelines for designing the sewing workstation, which might act as a basis for manufacturers or importers to set provisions for sewing machines.

Exploring the barriers to implement industrial symbiosis in the apparel manufacturing industry: Implications for sustainable development

Industrial symbiosis, a promising approach for sustainable industrial practices, has garnered attention in recent days for its ability to enhance resource efficiency, minimize waste, and preserve the environment through collaborative exchanges among industries. In emerging economies like Bangladesh, integrating industrial symbiosis in the manufacturing industries offers the potential to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. However, this integration encounters various barriers that complicate the implementation. Despite research on industrial symbiosis in robust economies, studies on emerging and developed economies are still scarce. To date, no research has yet investigated the barriers hindering the performance of industrial symbiosis in the Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing sector. To address this gap, this study integrates the Bayes theorem and the Best-Worst Method to identify and prioritize barriers to the Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing sector. From extensive literature reviews and expert validation, 17 barriers were identified. Findings reveal the “lack of technology and infrastructure readiness” as the most significant barrier, followed by “lack of inter-company cooperation” and “lack of management support”. Conquering these barriers empowers emerging economies to fortify the apparel manufacturing sector's resilience, resource efficiency, and environmental performance while fostering sustainable development via circular economy practices. This study is expected to guide policymakers and stakeholders in crafting targeted strategies for promoting steady growth and sustainable development in the apparel manufacturing sector of emerging economies like Bangladesh.

Investigating the role of relational factors on buyer-supplier relationship commitment to enhance firm performance through supply chain integration

PurposeThis study assesses how relational factors and buyer-supplier relationship commitment (BSRC) influence supply chain integration (SCI) and firm performance in Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing sector. Firm performance includes operational performance and innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in the social exchange theory, a survey data-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach is applied. Based on two experts and four executives' opinions and an in-depth literature review, 28 measurement items were identified in the close-ended questionnaire design. Further, 144 valid questionnaires from the manufacturer-supplier dyads in Bangladesh were collected and used for SEM analysis.FindingsOur study reveals that relational factors positively influence BSRC. BSRC directly impacts SCI, operational, and innovation performance, whereas SCI is significantly related to operational and innovation performance. Besides, SCI mediates the two relationships: BSRC and operational performance; and BSRC and innovation performance.Originality/valueOur results contribute to the literature and offer a new way to understand relationships that connect relational factors of BSRC, BSRC, and outcomes not only by examining the focal firm but also by examining its dyadic supplier partner separately. Separate assessment in the dyad displays some similar and dissimilar results. Moreover, we suggest practical implications for managers to enhance firm performance by focusing on the significance of linking relational factors, BSRC, and SCI.

Supply Shocks in Global Value Chains and Export Performance: Evidence from Bangladesh Using Triple Difference-in-Differences

In this paper, we evaluate how supply shocks in global value chains, such as the lockdown in China during the coronavirus pandemic, affected firm-product-level export performance in Bangladesh, which is a least-developed country where domestic inputs are inadequate due to capacity constraints. Transaction-level customs data on the universe of Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing firms are used in the analysis. We apply a triple difference-in-differences approach to compare the woven apparel exports of the firms that relied on China for inputs before and after the lockdown with those of knit apparel and firms that depended on the rest of the world as a comparison group. The results show that firms exposed to the Chinese input supply shock experienced a 36.5% decline in woven apparel exports after the lockdown. A plausible explanation for the decline in exports is the reduced shipment size driven by the constrained production capacity due to the shortage of inputs from China. We also find that exposed firms whose exports were highly concentrated in the European Union and the United States incurred an additional 18% decline compared to other firms.

The Impact of Access to Intermediate Inputs on Export Margins: Firm-Level Evidence from the Regression Decomposition Approach

This paper analyzes how export margins responded to an intermediate input supply shock caused by the 2020 lockdown in China. We use regression decomposition with triple and quadruple difference-in-differences models to identify causal impacts and mitigate potential heterogeneity in transaction-level customs data from the Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry. The triple difference estimate shows that the average export value per firm–product–destination combination declined by approximately 65%, leading to a decrease in overall exports of woven apparel from Bangladesh. The input supply shock also adversely affected the subgroups of firms across various firm-level characteristics along the intensive margin. Moreover, the export market share decomposition reveals that the shock significantly affected intensive margins by decreasing incumbents’ market allocation by 9%. An equivalent increase in extensive margins led to a readjustment in the market allocation, leading to fewer market leavers and slightly more new market entrants. Our results indicate that Bangladesh’s exports mostly decreased due to the smaller quantities of products exported rather than there being fewer firms, destinations, or products involved in export trade. There were significant market share reallocations that occurred after the Chinese input supply shock. An appropriate policy stance is required for sustainable export sector growth strategies, which will enhance the country’s defense against potential future shocks and foster the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh.

Examining the Trends, Prospects, and Future Challenges of Bangladesh's Apparel Export to the Global Market

This study delves into the intricate landscape of Bangladesh's apparel export to the global market, undertaking a comprehensive analysis of historical trends, current prospects, and future challenges. Drawing on secondary data sourced from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), which compiles information from the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, our investigation unfolds through a multifaceted approach. The objectives of this study are threefold. Firstly, we aim to explore historical data to unveil patterns, fluctuations, and seasonality in Bangladesh's apparel exports. Secondly, we evaluate the current prospects and potential growth areas for the country's apparel industry, considering emerging trends and the ever-evolving dynamics of the international market. Thirdly, we delve into the identification of key challenges that impede the growth and competitiveness of Bangladesh's apparel exports on the global stage. The data analysis employs various tables and figures, providing visual insights into the dynamics of Bangladesh's apparel export. The findings reveal a consistent growth trend in apparel exports, with notable increases in export values across various categories and markets. However, the industry also faces several challenges, including intense global competition, rising production costs, supply chain disruptions, and sustainability concerns. We discuss the implications of these challenges for the industry's future growth and competitiveness, offering recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders. Additionally, we highlight the need for further research to address key limitations and explore emerging trends shaping the future of Bangladesh's apparel export industry. Overall, this research contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics driving Bangladesh's apparel export sector and informs evidence-based strategies for sustainable growth and development in the industry. By amalgamating insights from prior studies, leveraging the extensive data compiled by BGMEA, and presenting findings through illustrative tables and figures, this study seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the trends, prospects, and challenges shaping Bangladesh's crucial apparel export industry.

Strategic orientation, strategic renewal, and the international performance of born global firms

AbstractThe international business environment is both dynamic and turbulent. Accordingly, a new venture’s strategic orientation (SO) and ability to undertake strategic renewal (SR) are of great importance to its survival, growth and international performance. Building on the dynamic capability perspective, we explore how SR capability mediates the relationship between SO and the performance of mature born global firms (BGFs). In particular, we examine the direct and indirect interplay between the SO of BGFs and their performance outcomes. We use a sample of 195 export-oriented BGFs, derived from the Bangladeshi apparel industry. We use a hierarchical regression analysis technique to test the direct effects. The mediation effect is examined using three statistical tests – Baron and Kenney’s (1986) causal steps approach, the Sobel test, and the Hayes indirect effect with bootstrapping method – to ensure the validity and reliability of our findings. The results reveal a positive association between SO and the performance of BGFs, and that this relationship is mediated by the firms’ SR capability. We contribute to a greater understanding of the drivers of mature BGFs’ international performance by demonstrating a direct link between their SO and SR capability, which in turn affects their performance outcomes.

Do fintech adoption and financial literacy improve corporate sustainability performance? The mediating role of access to finance

Corporate sustainability performance (CSP) has recently garnered considerable traction worldwide. Adopting industry 4.0 technologies such as financial technology (Fintech) and leveraging critical organizational resources are of great importance to the sustainability and performance of firms. This study draws upon the ecological modernization theory (EMT) and resource-based view (RBV) to assess the effects of a firm's Fintech Adoption (FA) and Financial Literacy (FL) on different dimensions of its sustainability performance. We also examine the mediating role of Access to Finance (AF) in the associations among these understudied variables. Empirical data was collected from 262 firms in the Bangladeshi apparel industry, and the CB-SEM approach was employed to assess the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that FA and FL are significant drivers of firms' sustainability performance. Additionally, access to finance was found to have a robust mediating impact on both the fintech adoption-sustainability performance relationship and the financial literacy-sustainability performance relationship. Moreover, the findings indicated that access to finance positively spurs a firm's sustainability performance. These results are robust to several sensitivity checks. Our findings extend the EMT and RBV theories' scope by establishing FA, FL, and AF as valuable resources for firms to drive their sustainability performance. Given the dearth of primary-data-based research, our empirical study addresses the gaps in the fintech, FL, and sustainability literature and yields crucial implications for theory and practice. Our research provides managers of RMG enterprises and policymakers with a constructive model for implementing fintech and managers' FL to enhance firms' access to credit and sustainability performance.

Analyzing the critical success factors to implement green supply chain management in the apparel manufacturing industry: Implications for sustainable development goals in the emerging economies

Green supply chain management (GSCM) is an emerging concept of modern supply chain management (SCM) that integrates eco-friendly and ethical environmental concerns with the traditional supply chain by reducing the negative impacts of unsustainable manufacturing practices. Developed countries have already adopted different sustainable SCM practices. However, despite being one of the significant sources of export earnings in emerging economies like Bangladesh, the apparel manufacturing industry is still lagging in the case of GSCM implementation. This study, thereby, utilized an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, including gray theory and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to identify, prioritize, and examine the relations among the critical success factors (CSFs) to implement GSCM practices in the Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing industry. The study initially identified the CSFs from the literature review. After expert validation, sixteen significant CSFs were finally analyzed by the gray-DEMATEL method. The findings revealed that 'demand from buyers', 'economic and tax benefits', and 'government rules and regulations' are the three most prominent CSFs to implement GSCM practices in the apparel manufacturing industry. The cause-effect relations among the CSFs were later explored, which indicated 'Economic and tax benefits' to be the most influencing and 'Supplier training and cooperation' to be the most influenced CSF. The study insights can potentially guide apparel industry managers in successfully implementing GSCM practices toward achieving long-term sustainability and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Analysis of buying perception of textile engineering students to identify the scope of local brands in Bangladeshi apparel market

Analysis of buying perception of textile engineering students to identify the scope of local brands in Bangladeshi apparel market

A structural model for analyzing supply chain risks from the standpoint of the Chinese and Bangladeshi apparel industries

A structural model for analyzing supply chain risks from the standpoint of the Chinese and Bangladeshi apparel industries

Multi-stakeholder initiatives through the lens of labour regimes: Towards a heuristic analytical framework

This paper develops the concept of labour regimes as an application to better understand multi-stakeholder initiatives that are established to govern labour in global production networks. The labour regimes approach connects both global production dynamics and territorialised economic, political, and social formations in understanding labour outcomes at the workplace. The labour regimes approach helps explicate the intersection of labour, capital, and the state, configured across time and space. I argue that such an analytical approach can reveal often contested, and sometimes obscured relations between stakeholders and how they shape the progress and the sustainability of multi-stakeholder initiatives. I make this case by taking the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in the Bangladeshi apparel industry as an empirical case example. This study takes a different approach from the existing works on the Accord. With the Accord having completed its tenure in 2019, this paper specifically focuses on the absence of two key national stakeholders - the state and manufactures from the Steering Committee of the Accord, and examines how this absence affected the Accord’s ability to deliver its objectives. Based on qualitative research in and around the Dhaka garment cluster, the paper demonstrates that this absence of the state and manufacturers engendered paradoxical outcomes. While it helped the Accord successfully implement its building safety program in the short-term, the transition of the Accord at the end of its tenure, and thus its long-term sustainability was affected by the lack of commitment of the state and manufacturers to the Accord’s mandate.

Sustainable Development of Apparel Industry in Bangladesh: A Critical Review

Bangladesh’s apparel industry has become the country’s economic foundation. The textile and apparel employees especially over four million people. In this major industrial sector, it is critical to encourage sustainability. When the apparel market and corporations focus on environmentally friendly products, Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sectors remain far behind, putting the country at risk of losing market share. It is right of passage to implement techniques and a long-term strategy to sustainability. Bangladeshi apparel industries are currently facing significant issues in terms of labor conditions. In garment manufacturers, fires are a common occurrence. Thousands of workers have perished because of these dangers. Due to Bangladesh’s fire and safety difficulties, several foreign purchasers have already opted not to do business with the country again. Furthermore, workers receive the world’s lowest pay, which leaves them dissatisfied and frequently results in conflicts and violence during protests poor wages. This study is conveyed based on theoretical, analytical, and statistical aspects. The goal of this study is to represent the overall picture of sustainability in the apparel industry in Bangladesh. This study illustrates on using a life cycle approach to assessing manufactured products for environmental indicators to attain sustainability, fast fashion, government policy of sustainability, new method and material of garments and compare with the lifestyle of Europe against Bangladesh. This paper investigated Bangladesh’s garment industry’s working environment, fire, and safety hazards, and made suggestions for important environmental and sustainability activities. This study is helpful to all the people because sustainability is the main concern in a day.

IR 4.0 Readiness of Apparel Industry in Bangladesh

Innovation and technological advancement are crucial for the apparel industry, particularly in manufacturing, made-to-order items, and customer requirements. This industry has become one of the most critical aspects of Bangladesh's industrialization process. However, businesses now strategically drive a series of changes, both from an organizational productivity perspective and a technologically supportive one. Industry 4.0 has significant potential to swap the business and manufacturing processes. Although perceptible advancement has been made in the practice of Industry 4.0 technologies and innovation in the manufacturing industries in industrialized countries, there is hesitation about the readiness of competitive businesses and manufacturing industries in developing countries like Bangladesh to adopt Industry 4.0. This study investigates the Bangladeshi apparel Industry's preparedness to implement Industry 4.0. A mixed-methods strategy has been implemented to evaluate the Bangladesh garment sector's readiness. The quantitative information was gathered through an online survey backed by a questionnaire instrument and quantitative methods of the Impulse Foundation of the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau-VDMA). Furthermore, the qualitative data was taken through key informant interviews (KIIs). This exploratory research focused on how companies use technological tools and methodologies and how prepared to adopt the massive changes brought forward by IR 4.0. Based on this study's findings, apparel companies should use technologies such as ERP, Big Data, Cloud, M2M Communication to boost Bangladesh's global competitiveness. In addition, respondents believed that digital transformation could create a smart factory to optimize the manufacturing system, which has a very substantial impact on industry 4.0. Moreover, this exploratory study revealed that Bangladesh's garment companies face significant difficulties in IR 4.0 strategy design and equipment organization to meet IR 4.0 expectations. It is also revealed in this research that skills related to Industry 4.0 exist in hands in Bangladesh. Therefore, further research is needed to discover more features of Industry 4.0 adoption and skilled employee prerequisites.

Remedial In Progress: Varied Stakeholder Pressures According to Workplace Compliance in Bangladeshi Apparel Factories

The stakeholder influences on workplace compliance among Bangladeshi apparel factories across different compliance statuses were investigated. Six prominent stakeholders of the issue were identified: Buyers, owners, government, competitors, workers, and NGOs. Using the Accord’s inspection records, a modified stratified sampling, and an online survey method, responses from 43 "compliant" and 45 "behind-schedule" factories were analyzed. The result revealed that the factories behind the remedial process reported a higher degree of pressure from the government and NGOs as well as their workers than the compliant factories. The data confirmed the buyers as the most pressing stakeholder for both factory groups. The results suggest that the factories that are behind the schedule face an increased level of pressure from the local stakeholders, especially from their workers. The findings carry significant implications for the current transition to the government-controlled inspection and worker protections as well as for non-linear nature of stakeholder influences.

Critical determinants and firm performance of sustainable technology adoption in the apparel industry: the stakeholder approach

PurposeThis study examines the factors of sustainable technology adoption (STA) in the Bangladeshi’s apparel industry and its impact on the environmental performance and other firm performances. Mainly, this study adopts stakeholder theory and hypothesizes necessary conditions to examine different stakeholders’ roles to facilitate STA and ameliorate firm performances such as environmental, financial and competitive advantages.Design/methodology/approachIt is an empirical study which collected 240 responses from Bangladeshi apparel firms. Garment factories were considered as the unit of analysis.FindingsCustomer pressure, top management, competition among firms and government support significantly and positively impact STA. Surprisingly, regulatory pressure has no significant impact on the Bangladeshi’s apparel industry, which contradicts most existing literature in the field. The findings show that sustainable technology brings increased simultaneously enhances environmental outcomes and enhances financial performances and competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis study fills up the voids that exist in the STA literature in the clothing industry in the clothing industry’s STA literature. Specifically, western buyers have more influence than regulatory pressure to adopt sustainable technology and sustainable manufacturing for the Bangladeshi garments industry. Moreover, it proposes that sustainable technology can enhance firms’ competitive advantage in selling their products in the West besides environmental-friendly apparel manufacturers.

Improving Preferential Market Access through Rules of Origin: Firm-Level Evidence from Bangladesh

In countries where there exist limited opportunities to source inputs locally, rules of origin undermine access to preferential trade agreements for final goods exporters. I analyze the 2011 revision to the rules of origin associated with the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences, which allowed apparel producers in least developed countries to use internationally sourced textiles in exported products. Using transaction-level data on Bangladeshi apparel firms, I find that the rules of origin effectively cut the preferential margin by three-fourths. Liberalizing the rules of origin resulted in firm-level revenue growth, which was driven by the intensive margin through increased shipment sizes and quality upgrading. (JEL F13, F14, L67, O14, O19)

Linkages among automation, job displacement and reshoring: evidence from the Bangladeshi apparel industry

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the impact of automation on job displacement and reshoring in the apparel industry. It also compares with predictions on the same subject matter by the existing literature and, thus, provides future research agenda for further studies. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected through 27 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The grounded theory was used for thematic and network analyzes, which traced the drivers and barriers, as well as the impact of automation and reshoring. Findings Initially, automation decreases human interactions in any specific production section. However, it increases productivity, quality and cost advantages, which invoke growth and further employment in clothing firms. The employment of unskilled workers decreases in the long run when automation is well adopted in the system. Automation does not stimulate reshoring but may support relocation initiatives of production sites around the centers of global value chains (GVCs). This GVC-based relocation may create job displacement in apparel manufacturing nations in Asia while bringing employment opportunities to Sub-Saharan African countries, Europe and North America. Originality/value Little empirical research has been conducted on the impact of automation on the apparel industry. This study predicts that human interventions will dominate the sewing of fashionable and sophisticated apparel products while automation may replace many human workers for basic garment items in the foreseeable future.

Performance implications of export assistance: the mediating role of export entrepreneurship

PurposeAlthough both institutional export assistance and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) contribute separately and positively to export performance, the interplay between them has received little attention. This study examines the role of international EO in deriving performance benefits from governmental and nongovernmental export assistance.Design/methodology/approachIn this longitudinal study, two surveys were administered at two different times: In 2011, 705 Bangladeshi apparel exporters were surveyed, and in 2019, a subsequent survey of 198 firms in multiple industries was conducted. The aim of the surveys was to assess the relationships between governmental and nongovernmental assistance, EO and export performance.FindingsThe results of the first survey show that, while nongovernmental assistance influences performance directly and via EO, governmental assistance has only direct effects. Furthermore, the negative influence of government assistance on EO reduces the total effects and renders them nonsignificant. The results of the second survey demonstrate that government EPPs have both direct and indirect positive and significant effects on market performance, indicating a partial mediation, whereas quasi-governmental assistance has positive and significant direct effects as well as negative but nonsignificant indirect effects. Nongovernmental EPPs have both direct and indirect significant effects on international performance, indicating a partial mediation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has important implications for researchers studying export assistance and its impact on firm performance. Instead of adopting a parochial view of government assistance, this study categorizes such assistance into three types – government, quasi-government and nongovernment. Furthermore, this study bridges the export assistance and international entrepreneurship literature by including EO.Practical implicationsEntrepreneurs must emphasize the use of government assistance in order to enhance export performance. However, to promote both entrepreneurship and performance, they must emphasize nongovernment assistance. Exporters should also capitalize on the assistance extended by various quasi-governmental agencies to bolster export performance.Originality/valueGiven the performance advantage of export assistance, this study highlights the contribution of the private sector in promoting export entrepreneurship while shedding light on the pernicious role of (quasi-)governmental assistance in export entrepreneurship.

Live or be left to die? Deregulated bodies and the global production network: Expendable workers of the Bangladeshi apparel industry in the time of Covid

This paper draws upon the experience of mainly women workers in the Bangladeshi apparel industry to explore whether deregulated bodies are the fundamental condition of work in the global production network (GPN). We organised the study during the first waves of Covid-19. To conceptualise how ‘deregulated bodies’ have been structured into the industry as the exchange condition of work, we draw on the work of transnational feminist and Marxist scholars. The study provides insights about how a gendered GPN emerged under the neoliberal development regime; the pattern of work and work conditions are innately linked to volatile market conditions. By documenting workers’ lived experiences, the paper enhances our empirical understanding of how workers depend upon work, and how a form of expendable but regulated life linked with work has been embedded in GPN. Our findings reveal that unlike those of other human beings, workers’ bodies do not need to be regulated by norms that enable protection from Covid-19. As for the workers, work implies earning for living and survival, so ‘live or be left to die’ becomes the fundamental employment condition, and the possibility of their death an overlooked consideration. This reality has not changed or been challenged, despite the existence of compliance regimes. We further argue that as scholars, we bear a responsibility to consider how we engage in research on the implications of such organisation practices in a global environment, when all of us are experiencing the pandemic.