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The main purpose of this paper is to assess the technological view of apparel new product development (NPD) process through a framework for improving the efficiency of NPD process in Sri Lankan apparel industry.

The study uses literature review, a survey and in-depth interviews of industry experts for data collection. Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis are used to identify the relationship between NPD process performance and Industry 4.0 (I4) technology components.

All technology components are enablers of NPD process, yet the relative importance of technology components varies within the NPD life cycle. Technoware is identified as the most significant, while Humanware component is the least significant for the advancement of I4 technologies in the NPD process.

Despite the novelty of research investigation into NPD process using I4 technologies in apparel industry, it is limited to one geographical location and a small segment of the industry.

This paper assists apparel industry practitioners to better understand and prioritize I4 technology components in the NPD life cycle for their successful adoption and for reaping the benefits.

This research generates new knowledge on the adoption of I4 technologies using industry insights into technology components mapped/aligned with key stages of NPD life cycle.

Introducing social sustainability initiatives in the apparel industry is a complex and challenging process. This study aims to investigate the challenges facing Bangladesh apparel supplier organisations in implementing factory safety initiatives.

This study identifies challenges of implementing social sustainability initiatives of the apparel industry based on a literature review and case-study interviews with senior-level management of apparel supplier organisations.

The analysis shows significant challenges facing apparel supplier organisations in implementing social sustainability initiatives relate to resource and institutional issues. These challenges are resource management and strategy, cost and financial concerns, as well as cultural, regulation and monitoring issues.

The identified challenges may be useful for policymakers and managers of apparel buyer and supplier organisations to recognise critical issues involved in social initiative implementation and to help improve social sustainability practices of the apparel industry.

By addressing the identified issues, stakeholders in the apparel industry can work to ensure improved social sustainability practices in apparel manufacturing factories.

The study contributes to the research on social sustainability practices of the apparel industry by identifying and addressing challenges faced by apparel supplier organisations in implementing social sustainability initiatives in apparel manufacturing factories.

In 1978, the once powerful US apparel industry was on the cusp of change, and the consulting firm KSA conducted a Delphi survey of apparel executives’ predictions into the 2000s. The purpose of this paper is to compare actual changes over the subsequent decades with these 1978 expert predictions and explore the accuracy/inaccuracy of these “educated guesses” (KSA, 1978, p. 1).

The chorographic method was used to analyze the report and document historical data. Chorography is “concerned with significance of place, regional characterization, [and] local history […]” (Rohl, 2012, p.1) and includes contextual settings and researcher input. Primary data were examined during each decade and included: industry literature, government documents and labor data. The researchers used content analysis to reduce and organize data.

Findings cover three decades of Southeast US apparel industry data including imports, employment, number of plants, size of plants and productivity. Predictions were inaccurate about imports, predicted to be minor in comparison with domestic production, which they actually surpassed. Predicted decrease in employment was similar to actual decrease but reasons were inaccurate. Change in number and size of plants were over-predicted and under-predicted. Reasons given by experts were automation and government intervention; in actuality, limited automation occurred with insignificant impact in contrast to outsourcing, which decimated employment in US plants. Steady increase in productivity was predicted when productivity often decreased.

Previous studies focus on the textile sector; studies of the apparel sector tend to be regional or topical. This study is more expansive and provides insight into predictions and changes made in the US apparel industry at a critical time in its near demise. With the current climate of global change and increased market uncertainty, insights from this study may provide direction for rethinking of the domestic apparel industry for the USA and other developed countries.

This paper examines the perceptions of Bolivians engaged in the country's apparel industry regarding barriers and challenges to participation in the global textile and apparel complex. Small Bolivian apparel producers perceive the apparel industry as a source of employment and an opportunity to improve the well being of their families. Government/small business relationships, economic and political uncertainty of trade partners, inadequate infrastructure, a depressed domestic market, and global trade policies were identified by participants as barriers to further development of the apparel industry. Apparel producers require support from both public and private sectors to foster entrepreneurship, promote Bolivian apparel products and join regional production networks to revitalize the apparel industry in Bolivia.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and map trends in the Canadian apparel industry (in a global context) and, through the application of Porter's models, establish strategies that could be employed by Canadian small and medium enterprizes (SMEs) in response to the move toward trade liberalisation since the phasing out of the multi‐fibre arrangement.

The literature review established trends in the apparel industry both in Canada and globally. Qualitative research in the form of case studies highlighted apparel suppliers' perceptions of Canada's strengths and weaknesses as a business setting and provided preliminary information on possible supplier activities which provide value and competitive advantage. The analysis of the primary data also allowed the development of preliminary questions, answers to which will further enhance the understanding of clusters and their applicability to Canada's apparel SMEs.

Canada's apparel manufacturing industry is winding down while imports are continuing to grow. At the same time, the Canadian market is not large enough to sustain all the suppliers, thus forcing those who are competitive to export, primarily to the USA, which is Canada's major apparel export destination. The morphology of related and supporting industries to apparel suppliers is changing. The findings suggest that Canada's apparel supply is becoming more of a service and less of a manufacturing industry.

This paper provides an understanding of Canada's position in the global apparel map and ascertains whether competitive cluster strategies exist for the Canadian apparel industry. Furthermore, it sets the stage for further research by identifying knowledge gaps pertaining to the applicability of clusters to the apparel industry and providing data and findings to bridge these gaps.

The textile and apparel industries in North America have experienced dramatic changes in the past decade. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has prompted the formation of apparel supply networks throughout the Western Hemisphere combining textile industries and retailers in the USA with apparel industries in Mexico to compete against Asian countries. Contrary to the widely acclaimed intent of NAFTA, the increased apparel production in Mexico has not led to a growth for the US textile industry. Instead, the US textile industry has continuously lost ground in global competition, giving up a large portion of its manufacturing. Today, the US textile industry is undergoing negative profits, countless plant closings, layoffs, and eventual bankruptcies. This study analyzes the impact of NAFTA and US textile companies’ corporate strategies on the performance of the textile industry and examines the pending strategic issues for maintaining US textile companies’ competitiveness in global markets.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze business patterns in the Los Angeles County apparel industry, with the primary focus being globalization, trade policy and offshore sourcing, to establish how trade policy may affect small or mid‐size apparel manufacturers.

The method was a qualitative analysis of telephone interviews with apparel firms and associations in Los Angeles County. In total, 25 executives were interviewed. Analysis of the interviews enabled the investigation of the impacts of trade policy on apparel manufacturers and afforded an understanding of the viability of transitioning to a capital‐ and technology‐intensive industry.

The Los Angeles County apparel industry can succeed with both high and low value‐added activities. This combination will allow its infrastructure to survive while simultaneously growing and evolving in design and marketing.

The apparel industry in Los Angeles County has historically been made up of immigrant workers, labor‐intensive production activities and low cost apparel products. Continued analysis of the industry concerning possible continued decline is warranted.

The Los Angeles County apparel industry is re‐positioning to become increasingly design‐ and marketing‐intensive, outsourcing many low value‐added activities to offshore contractors. Integration of the data may provide insight into ways in which trade policy changes alter offshore sourcing practices in Los Angeles County.

This study is a benchmark for the Los Angeles County apparel industry to measure its evolution. The replication of this research in subsequent years will provide a timely profile of a dynamic industry.

The paper seeks to explain the pattern of strategic responses by the US textile and apparel industries to changes in their business environment since 1979.

The study is based on a literature review and interviews with officers from leading US corporations, government agencies and trade associations. The approach examines strategic responses to environmental change. The study takes a macro perspective to permit an understanding of the forces operating at the industry level.

Shifting market requirements, intensifying international competition, powerful retailers, and rapid technological change have confronted the US textile and apparel sectors. In responding to these, companies have developed more creative, change‐seeking business cultures, and more flexible operational arrangements. However, both industries have exhibited change‐resisting characteristics in their responses. Many companies have been forced into bankruptcy. Today both industries are radically different, in terms of their strategies, business scope, technological intensity, organizational structure, and supply chain relationships.

The paper provides a generalized perspective on the broad thrusts of strategic changes across the two sectors. Further work could develop this analysis at a micro level.

The paper highlights the need for US companies to develop more change‐seeking business cultures, more flexible operational arrangements, an international orientation and a sharper business focus.

The paper provides a long‐term, systemic perspective on strategic responses to environmental change at the industry level. It has policy‐making value to practitioners and government agencies, and instructional value to teachers and students.

Recent liberalization of the world's textile and apparel trade policies and the consequent changes in trade patterns posited threats to smaller textile‐ and apparel‐exporting nations, including Thailand. Thus it is important to understand how the new trade environment affects the competitiveness of Thailand's apparel industry. This study seeks to provide insights into how Thailand's apparel industry has responded to increasingly fierce global competition by drawing on Porter's theory of The Competitive Advantage of Nations.

To assess the competitiveness of the Thai industry, the study triangulated data from various sources, including secondary statistics, media reports, and relevant industry publications. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were also conducted, and participants included key executives from Thailand's apparel industry, government officials, and academics. The interviews were conducted at various locations in three Thai provinces: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samutsakorn, over a two‐week period.

Findings revealed the existence of four determinants supporting the Thai apparel industry: basic v. specialized factors; sophisticated and demanding consumer market; the presence of interdependent economic agents; and strategies and structure of Thai companies and domestic rivals. These four determinants are identical to the “diamonds” outlined in Porter's theory of The Competitive Advantage of Nations and a new source of competitiveness. Furthermore, the Thai government was found to play an important role, by providing support to enhance the global competitiveness of Thai companies.

The study is among the first to attempt to provide insights into the competitive national advantage of the Thai apparel industry. Based on the findings, the outlook is positive for the continued success of Thailand's apparel industry in the global arena.

The South American textile industry is experiencing unprecedented opportunities to enter the US textile/apparel market and be a collaborator in the US textile/apparel supply chain. This study intends to provide an illustration of South American small to medium‐sized companies in the textile/apparel industry concerning supply chain management such as quality, logistics, forecasting techniques, lead time, inventory management, and integration of supply chain.

The study in this paper first identifies the principal issues that concern US companies that must be addressed by small companies in their chase to become suppliers in the US textile/apparel industry. Second, this paper provides general descriptions of small textile companies in South America and discusses their performance in the different areas of supply chain management such as quality, logistics, forecasting, production planning, and supply chain integration. A survey is done to provide the comparison between what is expected in the US textile/apparel industry and the performance of South American companies.

The analyzed results provide recommendations based on the evaluation of strengths and weaknesses that may be used as references for these small companies to increase their potential of being active partners in the US supply chain.

This research provides the US and South American textile/apparel companies with the understanding of the issues and constraints of potential South American suppliers and allows them to establish strategic alliances with South American suppliers.

The study provides a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of South American small to medium‐sized textile/apparel companies that can help both US and South American companies in the pursuit of new opportunities in textile/apparel supply chain collaborations.