Readymade Garments Research Articles

Green Industrialization as a Solution to the Energy Crisis in Bangladesh: A Study about Green RMG Factories in Bangladesh

This research paper aims to investigate the potential of green industrialization as a solution to the energy crisis in Bangladesh, with a specific focus on the ready-made garment (RMG) sector. The purpose is to assess the economic viability of implementing green practices in RMG factories and their impact on energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and overall economic development.The study employs a comprehensive approach, utilizing a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. It includes an analysis of green manufacturing processes, energy-saving measures, and the use of renewable energy sources in 30 RMG enterprises. The research also explores challenges faced by the industry in adopting green practices, such as higher initial costs, reliance on foreign consulting firms, and customer behavior.Green manufacturing processes in RMG companies result in decreased energy use, increased use of renewable energy, reduced water consumption, and decreased noise pollution. About 63% of businesses employ some form of renewable energy, with popular measures including the use of solar panels, turbo ventilation, and daylighting systems. However, the study also identifies challenges such as higher installation costs, reliance on foreign expertise, and customer reluctance to pay more for green products.The findings may not fully represent the entire industry, and variations in practices across different regions and sizes of enterprises may exist.The need for government subsidies, awareness campaigns to promote green practices among factory owners, and incentives for importing eco-friendly machinery. The study focuses on a sector critical to Bangladesh's economy and its potential to contribute to sustainable development goals and address the energy crisis.

Human Security and Employment Relations in the Ready-Made Garments Industries of Bangladesh: Perspective of Women Workers

Ready-Made Garment (RMG) is the largest export earning sector of Bangladesh and the second largest provider of RMG products in the world. The RMG industries generate more than eighty percent of the country’s total export by creating employment for nearly4.4 million people out of which more than eighty percent are women. The health, safety and working condition of workers in the RMG industry do not comply with global standards and in many of these factories, insecurity of women workers, faulty infrastructural standards, violation of labour law, labour exploitation by low wage and over work; remain matters of serious concern. Obviously, employment in the RMG industry has reduced the social exclusion of women in Bangladesh, but more analysis is required to know how the RMG industry enables the women worker to re-negotiate their roles in society. Therefore, the present article is an attempt to examine how the human security system in the RMG sector has influenced the women workers’ job satisfaction and employment relations in Bangladesh.

Unveiling the occurrence of COVID-19 in a diverse Bangladeshi population during the pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic hit Bangladesh with relatively low intensity, unlike its neighbors India and European countries and USA. The present report included data of 8,480 individuals tested for COVID-19 RT-PCR of the workers and officials from readymade garments (RMG) industry in Chandra area in Gazipur. The present data looked into the clinic-demographic factors associated with the susceptibility of the condition. The data elucidated the susceptibility of the individuals to SARS-CoV-2 based on age, gender, pre-existing health conditions, and the presence of symptoms. It was observed that individuals aged over 60 had the highest rate of COVID-19 positivity, and men exhibited a higher infection rate compared to women. Regardless of age, fever and cough were the most frequently reported symptoms. Two-thirds of the individuals included in this report appeared to be asymptomatic carriers. The prevalence of comorbidities among individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 was notably higher, and this exhibited a gender-specific pattern. Although our study provides important epidemiological insights into the initial year of the pandemic among Bangladeshi populations, it can also add value for future drug and vaccine development. However, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations like - restriction of public movement, unavailability of vehicle yielding a selection bias, due to the lockdown conditions imposed owing to the pandemic and the diverse characteristics of the participants. The report emphasizes the significance of figuring out how age, gender, and underlying health conditions impact susceptibility to and transmission of COVID-19, thereby providing valuable insights for public health strategies and future research initiatives.

Driving Toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Ready-Made Garments (RMGs) Sector: The Role of Digital Capabilities and Operational Transparency

Driving Toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Ready-Made Garments (RMGs) Sector: The Role of Digital Capabilities and Operational Transparency

Agile Factor Flexible Industry 4.0 with MES Manufacturing Execution System Along with ERP Back-End Integration: Ready-Made Garments as a Case Study

Agile Factor Flexible Industry 4.0 with MES Manufacturing Execution System Along with ERP Back-End Integration: Ready-Made Garments as a Case Study

Pandemic-led trade shocks & supply chain disruption: case studies of the readymade garments (RMG) sector in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Pandemic-led trade shocks & supply chain disruption: case studies of the readymade garments (RMG) sector in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Pandemic-led trade shocks & supply chain disruption: case studies of the readymade garments (RMG) sector in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Pandemic-led trade shocks & supply chain disruption: case studies of the readymade garments (RMG) sector in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Exploring Sexual Harassment of Victimized Women Workers in Ready-Made Garment of Bangladesh

Exploring Sexual Harassment of Victimized Women Workers in Ready-Made Garment of Bangladesh

Forecasting Monthly Export of Readymade Garments by Removing Seasonal Impact

Various Bangladeshi authorities release time series data that takes seasonal effects into account. However, no adjusted series is offered. The developed world has completely different conditions since they broadcast seasonally adjusted series. Many seasonal adjustment techniques, such as classical and X-based techniques, are available; however they cannot be used in practice in accordance with Bangladesh's seasonal time series. So here we have executed X-11 and X-12-ARIMA which are known as X-based seasonal adjustment methods and some classical methods like SARIMA and MA to seasonal time series data collected from secondary source as economic trend revealed by Bangladesh Bank. We will use export of readymade garments which are monthly data and have seasonal impacts. The entire data collection must first be divided into training and test data. Next, the data was de-seasonalized, and future values were predicted using training and test data sets, respectively, to compute various forecasting errors such as MAPE, PMAD, MAD, and RMSE. We utilize several X-based approaches and traditional methods to compare the errors. We conclude that the seasonal adjustment strategy performs better and has fewer forecasting mistakes. In conclusion, we suggest the optimal seasonal adjustment technique for ready-to-wear exports and project certain future values based on that technique.

Current Socio-Economic Conditions and Mental Health of Female RMG Workers: A Narrative Review

With an estimated 4 million workers, garment manufacturers in Bangladesh contribute to the country’s economic prosperity. Most of the female employees in this industry come from rural regions. These workers frequently do repetitive, continuous, and lengthy tasks including stitching, ironing, packaging, and lifting large objects. The presence of toxic factors in the workplace can have detrimental effects on an employee’s physical and mental well-being as well as the organization’s general health. This study aimed to investigate the mental health and socioeconomic situation of female RMG workers. Materials and Methods: The search approach that was used was a thorough electronic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library. This review includes all publicly available research that had a full-text article in the database and a thorough methodology. Results: Eleven studies were included in this review. The studies revealed that the majority of the readymade garment workers are female around 80-90%. They are from rural areas and not highly educated. The mental health issues are due to result of working at uncomfortable positions at the factory and simultaneously fulfilling family demands at home. According to the experts, female employees’ health is impacted by their physical work environment, poor employment position, and the type of their profession. The female employees shared their own accounts of experiencing physical and verbal abuse, ongoing pressure, various personal limitations, and wage withholding in the workplace. Conclusions: Review of socio-economic status and mental health issues among the lowly educated young garment factory workers revealed that the uncooperativeness of various stakeholders were the biggest reasons for mental health issues. Women participated in the majority of the research projects. As a result, it’s essential to set up targeted initiatives to improve the mental health of garment workers.

Employment Booms and Infant Health: Evidence from the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Employment Booms and Infant Health: Evidence from the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Coping strategies of ready-made garments workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative assessment

Coping strategies of ready-made garments workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative assessment

Factors Related to Workers' Engagement in Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh

Factors Related to Workers' Engagement in Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh

Analysing the Technological Foundations Shaping the Structural Features of Supply Chain Networks in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Industry

Analysing the Technological Foundations Shaping the Structural Features of Supply Chain Networks in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Industry

Assessing compliance with International Labor Organization convention No. 100 in Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry for sustainable development goals

Assessing compliance with International Labor Organization convention No. 100 in Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry for sustainable development goals

Coping strategies of ready-made garments workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative assessment

Coping strategies of ready-made garments workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative assessment

Addressing the dollar crisis by investigating underlying causes, effects, and strategic solutions in emerging economies

Foreign exchange reserves (FER), especially dollar assets, are vital for a developing country to maintain economic stability, foster growth, and protect against unexpected amendments. In recent years, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, several emerging countries have experienced significant economic hardship due to a crisis in foreign reserves. This has led to inflation and disruptions in supply chains, healthcare, and various service facilities. Despite the gravity of this issue, previous studies have not investigated the causes and consequences of such sudden crises. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the causes and consequences of sudden FER crises in a developing country, specifically Bangladesh, through a systematic review. The study also explores innovative process-oriented policies to mitigate the immediate FER crisis. The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. It included 90 articles published between 2020 and 2023. The results discovered that the FER crisis in Bangladesh has been triggered by both external factors (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade imbalances, and remittances) and internal factors (including large infrastructure projects, complexities in the banking sector, local project subsidies, a managed floating exchange rate, and an over-reliance on the ready-made garments sector). These factors escorted deflation of the national currency, causing further inflation, declining domestic purchasing capacity, and raising concerns about food security. Additionally, price hikes and unauthorized storage of daily necessities made accessing daily essentials challenging for locals. The government has implemented three policy interventions, including managing consumer demand, safeguarding the supply of goods, and regulating continuous market monitoring to overcome the challenges. This study proposes eight innovative process-oriented policy recommendations for mitigating the immediate foreign exchange crisis and promoting sustainable economic development. Overall, this study offers valuable contributions in developing sustainable global economic policies. It fosters improved recovery and reuse of materials and energy while advancing long-term growth in developing nations.

The Impact of Workplace Safety Practices on Employee Intention to Stay in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh: Moderating Role of Employee Safety Training

Workplace safety practices in the RMG sector are the demand of the current time. This sector is significantly contributing to the economy is still facing safety problems in Bangladesh. It examines the impact of safety practices on employee retention, with a focus on the moderating effect of safety training. Safety practices encompass fire safety, equipment, and machinery safety. A conceptual framework has been developed to measure workplace safety practices and then its impact on employee retention and has been drawn with the moderating effect of employee safety training. The target population comprised readymade garments (RMG) employees of Dhaka city specially employed in Savar, Gazipur, and Ashulia. Data from 230 Dhaka-based RMG employees were collected through a non-probability convenience sampling technique, employing 28 self-administered questionnaires. Based on the study findings, it was evident that there was a positive and significant connection between the fire safety practices and employee intention to stay scoring .464(r=.464**). In addition, the interaction adds a significant 11.9% to the explanatory power of Fire safety practices when safety training is added with it. The study further showed a correlation value between Safety Equipment and Employee Intention to stay which was .409 (r=.409**). Additionally, in the later phase, the interaction increases the capacity for explanation of the independent variables by a statistically significant 10.2% associated with R2 change (0.102). Another independent variable that was machinery safety was found to have a positively directed relationship with employee intention to stay with a correlation coefficient of .478 (r=478**). Later on, it was evident that the explanatory power of independent variables (main variables) changed significantly by 34.9% when machinery safety practices and safety training were included as a main variable. This research offers insights for HR professionals and managers in enhancing workplace safety and employee outcomes, potentially opening new research avenues.

Responsible management practices in Bangladesh

This study aims to impact the responsible management practices of factories in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh. Collaborative research with our main partner - the BGMEA University for Fashion and Technology (BUFT) - on responsible management has contributed to the embedding of ethical practices in the RMG sector. More specifically, in a first stage of this program, the collaborative knowledge development is ingrained in the degree and executive education programs of BUFT - impacting about a quarter of the professionals entering the RMG sector in Bangladesh - and has informed the practices and policies of professional bodies, such as BGMEA in Bangladesh, MODINT in the Netherlands and the International Apparel Federation (IAF). Furthermore, in a second stage of this program, research on sustainability hot spots in the RMG value chain has influenced decision-making of the European Committee in relation to their sustainability policies. It substantially advanced the understanding of how European non-development policies and regulations aimed at private and public market actors contribute to or undermine sustainable development policies. The project delivered practical tools and innovative regulatory reform proposals with substantial potential for greater policy-coherence for development, thereby contributing to an integral approach focusing on a shift towards responsibility.

Mandatory adoption of technology: Can UTAUT2 model capture managers behavioral intention?

In Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) and textile sectors, technology-driven compliance standards are primarily imported directly from foreign buyers' corporate social responsibility (CSR) where managers do not have enough scope of involvement, engagement, or active authority. They neither have selection freedom nor adoption willingness. The aim of this exploratory research is to understand managers' perceptions around accepting these imposed technology-driven compliance standards in the name of safety through an empirical study of the RMG sector in Bangladesh. We have used the extended framework of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model with certain modifications. After analyzing data through structural equation modeling (SEM), a modified theoretical framework was revealed to capture managers' behavioral intention toward a complex technological system that does not automatically arise from self-willingness; rather it is mandatory acceptance. Based on this knowledge, we recommend that the UTAUT2 model be extended and revised to capture this kind of mandatory adoption of technology. The findings of this research can provide deep and effective knowledge and experience to international buyers in the RMG sector, global supply chain members, RMG factory owners, and government policymakers.