Garment Sector Research Articles

Export Trend of Ready Made Garments (RMG) Sector of Bangladesh

Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector has greater importance than any other sector in Bangladesh in terms of growth, employment, foreign exchange earnings and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The objective of this study is to determine the export trend of the RMG sector in Bangladesh by using different trend models. To serve the objectives of the study, time-series data of RMG sectors has been used for the period 1985-2018. Among several trend models, the Semi-log Parabolic Trend model is found to be the best-fitted model for determining the trend of RMG exports. From the empirical results of the study, it is observed that RMG exports have a significant upward trend for the period 1985-2018 with a growth rate of 8.76 % in 2018. The forecasted RMG export will be nearly 31712.82 million USD in the financial year 2022-23. The findings of the study will help the government, NGO’s and policymakers to undertake necessary steps for the progress of this sector.

Barriers to Utilization of Intra-natal Care Services among Female Garment Workers

Background: Ready-made garments (RMG) sector expositions preeminent growth and makes an important contribution to the national economy of Bangladesh Pregnancy is a critical event for working women specially garment worker& Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out to find out the barriers to utilization of intra-natal (INC) maternal health care services among 349 female RMG workers having at least one child less than 2 years and working more than 6 months in the selected five garment factories located in Savar and Gazipur areas, Dhaka, Bangladesh Results: The mean age of the respondent was 25.01+3.722 years and majorities (45%) were from the age group 23-27 years. Half of the respondents (50.4%) completed primary level of education in contrast to their partner (35.8%). More than half of the workers (516%) said that they consumed INC services and among them, only 3.1% received delivery related services_ Two-third (662%) did not avail any type of allowances for delivery service& Majorities of the respondents (562%) delivered their last child at home. INC services provided by the garment authorities were found statistically significant (p=0.048) with the place of delivery. Conclusion: Among the global maternal deaths almost all maternal deaths occur in developing countries and most of these deaths can be prevented. Strengthening of garment factory based strategies associated with delivery care services will be combat maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity of all the working women.

Minimum Wage Impact on RMG Sector of Bangladesh: Prospects, Opportunities and Challenges of New Payout Structure

Strike and labor unrest is very much common for the Readymade Garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. Most of them are basically for payment related issue like irregular wage payment practice of the garment factories owners and significant lag time of wage payment to the workers. With a view to maintaining stability in RMG sector, Ministry of Labor and Employment published new wage structure specially for the RMG sector in November 2018. Though new payout structure has been approved the effective implementation has become a great challenge for the governmental or regulatory authority as more than 50 percent increment in the lower graded workforce gross payout generates expectation gap of the owners of the RMG factories regarding the passion and value generating activities of the lower graded or minimum payout holder working force. High turnover in lower graded labor force and lack of working dedication generates reluctance of the owners to implement new payout structure of RMG sectors. However early stage patience and passion for working in RMG sector may gift a better career growth for the new workforce. Results have also justified the affiliation of a number of factors that may get influenced for the implementation of new minimum wage payout in the RMG sector.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Economy and the Direct and Indirect Impact on Bangladesh Economy

Since the outburst of COVID-19 in China, the world economy is passing in a turmoil situation. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the global economy including the economy of Bangladesh very hard than the any other comparing pandemic. Due to the heavy lockdown of almost all the nations, economic activities around the whole globe have fallen in a very substantial manner.This paper demonstrates the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the direct and indirect impact on Bangladesh economy. To calculate the probable outcome of this pandemic, this paper takes into account some key factors like, GDP Growth, Remittances, Unemployment, Expenditure, and different other important factors.At first, showed the negative impact on global economy through GDP fall. We have seen drastic fall in GDP growth in many major nations including USA, China, and Japan, etc. The extent of Global Recession is also showed in this section. The fall in GDP growth rate for many developed and developing country is showed in this section.Then, the impact on Bangladesh economy is showed in detail. The impact on Readymade Garments Sector, Foreign Remittance, Bank and Financial Institutions, Food and Agricultures, Local Trade, Foreign Trade, GDP, Sustainable Development Goals, Government Revenue, and Employment. The shocks are illustrated from both the global and regional perspective. Each section explained the overall scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it brought the negative changes in the flow of every important economic sector.After that, in discussion section, the paper explained the whole scenario from every corner. The process and every relevant issues collected for each section is illustrated in this section. From which dimensions the COVID-19 pandemic has treated us in explained in this section, the dynamic of this pandemic, how the global economy is affected, how hard the different sectors of Bangladesh is affected is discussed in this section.Finally, this paper recommended some policy level suggestions which might be able to fix the adverse situation that we are facing now. The recommendations are based on the data, analysis, and from the results of this overall paper. It is shown to help the policy makers to take the right decision and to cope up with this pandemic so that we can beat it before it can hit us badly.

Effects of Human Resource Management Practices on Labor Dispute of Readymade Garment Sector of Bangladesh

Labour dispute is the most important issue the readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh has been facing at present. Labour dispute (LD) creates lose-lose situation and impairs the interest of both the workers and employers and thereby creates barriers in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) by hampering economic development of the country. For achieving SDGs within due times, it is necessary to maintain harmonious industrial relation (HIR) in RMG sector. In a HIR both the employers and workers change their mind set up and builds an environment of mutual understanding and trust. Workers with high motivation and commitment consider the interest of the employers as their own interest and always try to avoid dispute. HIR can be maintained through proper exercise of human resource management (HRM) practices. As LD is high in RMG sector, it is necessary to know to what extent HRM practices are exercised in this sector and whether these practices are responsible for labour dispute or not. To do so a questionnaire survey has been conducted on 384 workers of grade IV to grade VII of four major districts. Five focus group discussions and eight key informant interviews also have been conducted to triangulate the data. The findings indicate that HRM practices are poorly exercised in this sector. Among these practices inadequate wages, irregularity in paying wages, sudden dismissal, misbehavior and using slang language, inadequate scope for negotiation are important.

Leading in the digital age: the perspectives of the readymade garments sector of Bangladesh

The prime objective of the research was to determine how the RMG sector is embracing digitization and its leaders are preparing for the digital age? so we investigated the influence of three variables- use of atomized digital machines, use of smartphones and apps, internet of things and what type of leadership style is needed for digital leadership. The present study used a sample of 50 RMG companies. Further, the variables’ influence on digitization has been assessed through multiple factors leading to digitization by allotment of weightage for each factor. The findings in this paper support two variables; use of automized digital machines and internet of things being significant whereas, the use of smartphones and apps is insignificant. It implies that preparation for leading in the digital age remains limited which require incorporation at all levels. The paper leads to a research question for future researchers that despite being very much important theoretically, why the use of smartphones are non-significant in RMG sector? Limitations of the paper include the data which is specific to Bangladesh RMG industry, therefore it cannot be generalized, further the economic meltdown due to COVID-19 pandemic might have influenced the results. The paper’s prime contribution is based on the assessment of predictor variables and their influence that it makes in providing leadership in the digital age.

Public Perception of Financial Incentives During COVID-19: A Case Study of the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are considering resilience factors for global industry to provide public policy experts with field insights. Financial incentives are one tool used to support industry. This article focuses on the ready-made garment sector suggesting there is a relationship between incentives and workers in this industry, specifically when facility owners anticipate incentives from the government. The primary findings are that sector respondents are aware incentives by the government will be provided, that additional support allocations can be used for alternative uses by the owners, and that the sector is recovering by utilizing resilience factors.

Analysis of the Present Condition of Garment Workers’ Rights and Its Protection under Domestic and International Legal Framework: Bangladesh Perspective

Total economy of Bangladesh greatly depends on industrial sectors and the ready-made garment is a vital part of this sector. More than 4 million people are working in this sector and about 5000 garment factories are scattered across the country. Among them about 70 per cent workers are women and they work equally with men from early morning to evening, which often extends to several hours at night, where their paid wages which they actually got are not in a satisfactory level. But we have to admit that, Proper management of labour is an essential matter for the growth of the industrial sector and for that role of labour and industrial laws are of paramount importance. The main object to which the Labour law indicates is obviously to maintain peace in the industrial sector and to meet the vibrancies of problems in the workplace, not only that but also to protect and secure the essential rights of the workmen. But it is a matter to regret that various defects, loopholes and unwanted rules of labour laws are depriving the workers of their legal or basic rights and also indiscriminately been victimized. The main aims of this research are to clarify the rights and other conceptual issues regarding rights of the workers especially who work in the garments sector of Bangladesh in accordance with standard practice, domestic and international legal framework along with the pledge to search the main and top most loopholes of existing labour laws of our country. In this research, we have tried both qualitative and quantitative approach to make it more effective and fruitful. At the end of this research, we will try to discuss some international documents to assure the maximization of rights of the working class as well as to lessen the violation of their fundamental, legal or basic rights in the ready-made garments sector of our country.

Strategy Development for the Turkish Ready-Made Garment Sector Using SWOT Analysis – Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

Strategy Development for the Turkish Ready-Made Garment Sector Using SWOT Analysis – Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

Direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on maternal and child health in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been going through incremental trend of GDP growth rates for a long time. The GDP is the key aspect to measure the economic growth of a country. But the current world wide pandemic due to the COVID-19 hardly affects the world’s economy as well as Bangladesh. The present lockdown make the wheel of the industries uncertain. The main source of the GDP of this country is ready made garment sector which has been shut down since mid of March 2020. Already 20 billion of cancellation of foreign order makes the situation worse. Also, the foreign remittance has been decline dramatically due to the loss of jobs of Bangladeshi workers in foreign countries. The overall economic situation declines in this country due to the COVID-19 which has huge impact on the health care system especially in maternal and child health. In this paper, the economic situation of Bangladesh before and during the COVID-19 has been shown. Also, how the COVID-19 would affect the condition of maternal and child health across the country directly as well as indirectly through the GDP has been discussed.

Logics of Sedition: Re-signifying Insurgent Labour in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories

I draw on the Tuba hunger strike of 2014, which took place in the shadow of the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the preceding year, to think through questions of collective action in relation to shifting figurations of labour in moments of crisis. I ask how state, capital and (I)NGO priorities shape or re-signify dominant narratives of labour insurgency under supply chain capitalism (Tsing, 2009). I trace conditions that enable the invocation of (highly contextualized) non-work tropes as a strategy for controlling or reframing labour struggles; I am particularly interested in the emergence of the figure of the anti-nationalist or outside agitator and the work of sedition narratives in constructing borders between legitimate and illegal forms of labour mobilization. I show how the highly contingent global assemblages that emerge bear directly on the prospects for organizing (what remains of) the ‘formally’ employed industrial workforce in the global garment sector, holding lessons for other spaces and places.

Analysing Productivity Change in Vietnamese Garment Industry Using Global Malmquist Index

Vietnam is conducting an export-led growth model and labour-intensive industries contributing majorly to the total export value. In the context of Industry 4.0, the labour-based industries are significantly affected; hence, enhancing productivity is the key measure to maintain these industries. The garment industry contributes significantly to the total export value of Vietnam. Based on meta-frontier framework, the approach of data envelopment analysis is used to measure technical efficiency of Vietnamese garment firms and the global Malmquist TFP index is utilised to identify productivity change and its components including efficiency, technology and technical gaps between different groups of firms. The data of Vietnamese garment firms from 2013 to 2018 collected from the Vietnam General Statistic Office is used in this study. The results show that: (i) The total factor productivity of Vietnamese garment firms growth, technical progress is the main contributor; (ii) The private garment sector is the leading group; (iii) There is a large technological gap among Vietnamese garment sectors. The private and FDI garment firms have experienced a growth in all components of total factor productivity change. Meanwhile, technological progress change is the main reason to constrain the productivity growth of state-owned garment firms.

Manufacturing in Ethiopia: Decathlon’s Partnership Model

This teaching case study focuses on Decathlon, Europe’s biggest outdoor and sports retailer. It examines how the company is adjusting its business model to align growth and profits with positive social impact and respect for human rights. It discusses Decathlon’s recent involvement in the nascent Ethiopian garment industry and the company’s efforts to introduce a partnership model, which is based on longer-term business relationships and joint growth strategies with selected suppliers. Beyond Ethiopia, the partnership approach is enabling suppliers in developing countries to organize their work more effectively and helping garment workers acquire new skills and capabilities, thereby improving productivity. At the same time, manufacturers receive support from Decathlon to improve general working conditions and, over time, to increase workers’ wages. The case introduces the challenges experienced by Anas Tazi, Decathlon’s country manager for Ethiopia. Decathlon’s sourcing strategy, based on a long-term business vision, requires stable demand and investments to unlock the strategy’s true potential. In Ethiopia, recent positive trends, such as greater supply chain transparency and heightened sensitivity to exploitative labor practices in the garment sector are threatened by ethnic and regional conflicts. These conflicts, sometimes violent in nature, could undercut efforts by the Ethiopian government and pioneering brands like Decathlon to develop and diversify the country’s economy. Against this backdrop, the questions are: How can brands source responsibly from developing countries and support their socio-economic development? Can Decathlon’s partnership model overcome a largely transactional business model and create value for foreign corporations and for the communities where the goods are being produced? The case illustrates what companies can do to promote and uphold human rights through core business processes. But it also shows the complexities of managing global supply chains when crucial factors remain outside the control of individual companies. Establishing longer-term business relationships appears to support improved labor rights at supplier factories over time. Still, a high degree of economic and political stability is needed to support investments in longer-term sourcing relationships. In Ethiopia, the partnership model is put to the test, and students can discuss how brands could best deal with the challenges of the global and local operating context.

Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Understanding through the case of Readymade Garment Sector

Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Understanding through the case of Readymade Garment Sector

Impact of Covid-19 on Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Impact of Covid-19 on Garment Sector in Bangladesh

THE IMPACT OF COVID -19 PANDEMIC ON THE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN BANGLADESH: A CONCEPTUAL REVIEW

Since the outburst of Covid-19 in China, the world economy is passing in a turmoil situation. Undeniably the economy of Bangladesh is also grappled by the severe public health crisis of the Covid-19. As the public health emergency is heavily interconnected with economic affairs, it has impacted each of the pillars of the economy of Bangladesh. The main purpose of this paper is to make evaluations of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of Bangladesh. This study is based on an empirical review of the recent study works, reports, working papers of home, and abroad regarding economic crisis. The review findings of the paper revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic have significant impacts on the different indicators of the economy of Bangladesh especially, Readymade Garments Sector, Foreign Remittance, Bank and Financial Institutions, Food and Agricultures, Local Trade, Foreign Trade (Export and Import), GDP (Gross Domestic Product), SDGs (Sustainable Development Goal), Government Revenue and Employment etc. This study suggested that as Covid-19 still surfacing all over the world so some steps should be ensured by the government agencies of Bangladesh to mitigate possible threats for the economy.

Contextual relationships among key factors related to environmental sustainability: Evidence from an emerging economy

Abstract In recent years, the need for achieving an environmentally sustainable supply chain has become a prominent concern among researchers as well as industry practitioners. However, there exists an insufficiency of comprehensive studies on the critical factors for environmental sustainability in the context of an emerging economy. To fill this research gap, the present study aims to determine and analyze the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chain Management (ESSCM) practices considering the readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. Initially, fourteen CSFs were sorted-out based on a review of the existing literature. We then held an interactive discussion session with industry experts to screen these candidate CSFs vis-a-vis the RMG industry of Bangladesh. The experts agreed on ten factors that we then processed further intending to understand the contextual relationships and interdependency among them. For this purpose, we applied the Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) technique. Moreover, we implemented a Cross-impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to classify the CSFs according to the influence and dependence level of each factor. Our findings indicate that all the identified CSFs are interrelated and “Effective government policies” is the most dominating CSF that acts independently but influences other CSFs either directly or indirectly. The findings can help motivate managers in the RMG industry to concentrate on the most relevant CSFs, thereby accomplishing ESSCM more effectively in the context of an emerging economy.

Concentration and Diversification of Export Economy of Bangladesh: Comparison and Policy Implication with Other Asian Countries

Bangladesh has achieved consistent economic growth last ten years. Its export is also growing but heavily depending on garment sector. This paper measures how much Bangladesh’s export concentration than other Asian countries China, Thailand and Vietnam. This paper uses n-Firm concentration to measure top 4 sector concentration, Herfindahl-Hirschman (HH) index to measure single industry domination and analyses current export for compare how much percentage contribution changes of major industries over the period. This paper finds Bangladesh’s export highly concentrated on single industry whereas other countries are more diversified on different sectors. Thailand and Vietnam have the same characteristics with Bangladesh in many aspects, but their export sectors diversified very nicely over the year. It explains major reasons for extreme concentration of Bangladesh’s export. This paper proposes a diversification framework for Bangladesh with identifying four major variables i.e Dynamic variables, Favourable variables, Structural Transformational Variables, and Policy and Commercial policy. It also suggests some factors with implementation guide under each variable with the experience of Thailand and Vietnam to implement the proposed framework.

The Garment Sector and Youth Employment in Kyrgyzstan: A Value Chain Analysis

A value chain analysis of the garment sector identifies gaps in the knowledge and skills of youth workers in sewing workshops, examines constraints which affect negatively the decision of youth workers to constantly change their workplaces as well as pinpoints potential opportunities of garment production in rural areas of Kyrgyzstan. The study's methodology includes desk research and in-depth interviews with representatives from Kyrgyz government, a review of publications from the media and international organizations, and qualitative interviews with sewing workshops actors in rural and urban areas of Kyrgyzstan. The study refreshes the thinking about the current state of garment production in Kyrgyzstan, its structure and main stakeholders. The study also gives an overview of the garment value chain stages and discusses issues relating to issues of migration, unemployment, gender and core literacy skills relevant to the current state of the garment sector. Lastly, the study offers policy recommendations to international and governmental organizations and garment sector stakeholders' including donor organizations.

The Influence of Training and Development on Employee Performance: A Study on Garments Sector, Dhaka Bangladesh

An organization’s have various resources such as; human and non- human resources. Employees are human resources. They are also life blood of an organization as like as capital. They plays an important role by performing different activities within and outside the organization. So every organizations should give more attention to the improvement of employees for achieving more effective outcome from them. Also make them efficient to survive in the competitive business world. Many researchers have conducted research activities in the field of Human Research Management, the same cannot be said on employee training and development especially as it concerns developing countries like Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of skill development training on employee performance, using the garments industry in Bangladesh. For understanding the aim of this study, three goals were developed and these focused particularly on investigating the meaning and importance of training, examining the methods are used to develop employee’s skills and finally evaluating the influence of skill development training on employee performance. This conceptual paper also aimed at studying the influence of skill development training on employee performance and to provide suggestion as to how firm can improve its employee performance through effective training programs. The study was based on some garments industry operating in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The qualitative and quantitative both approaches of the data collection were adopted using a questionnaire comprising of some structured questions distributed to 170 respondents between two garments industries; Masco Industries Limited (Composite knit garments) and Walmart Garments, Narayangonj. Based on this sample the results obtained indicate that training have a clear effect on the performance of employees. The results of this study can be useful to Human resource managers, Human resource policy decision makers, as well as government and academic institutions. This research found that strong relationship exists between employee training and development with employees’ performance. The results reveal that the more the employee gets training, the more efficient their level of performance would be.