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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 27 May 2014

Chung Yeh and Yu-tang Lee

The purpose of this paper is to build and provide a step-by-step methodology to develop a speed-to-market (STM) process model for a fashion garment that can quickly respond to the…

1640

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build and provide a step-by-step methodology to develop a speed-to-market (STM) process model for a fashion garment that can quickly respond to the marketing situation and shorten the cycle time from receiving orders to deliver the finished product. The improved STM process model to contrast the “before” and “after” scenarios in order to induce potential benefits such as reducing production lead-time and keeping low inventory.

Design/methodology/approach

First, collected garment business management systems and garment manufacture operational process. Second, according to the point-line-plane-volume work improvement to list the garment industry up and down stream improvement projects and to reduce the supply chain lead-time. Third, establish the STM model and use information technology to redesign the garment industry supply chain process. Fourth, amend the STM model process. Fifth, compare the supply chain lead-time of finished STM process and normal process.

Findings

After the garment industry implements STM and supply chain re-engineering, the clothing design to sale process can be simplified and reduced time to market. The garment order to buyer lead-time is shortened from 104 to 42 days totally.

Practical implications

This research is a practical business re-engineering process and work improvement. The improvement STM model can half the cycle time from receiving orders to deliver the finished garment product.

Originality/value

This paper provides a process with a step-by-step methodology to develop a successful speed-to-market model for the fashion garment industry and it is able to serve as a reference model for other industrial supply chain management.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2012

Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim and Olayinka Ogunyemi

The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of supply chain linkages and information sharing on supply chain performance and export performance of textile and clothing (T&C…

2741

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of supply chain linkages and information sharing on supply chain performance and export performance of textile and clothing (T&C) firms in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical framework developed from the literature was suggested and tested using an online survey. The focus of this research is the export side of the T&C industry in Egypt. The sampling frame consisted of 310 T&C exporting firms, from which 63 samples were obtained. Linear regression was used to measure the relationships.

Findings

The results showed upstream (supplier) and downstream (customer) linkages and Information sharing to be positively related to both supply chain performance and export performance. The best predictors of export performance were found to be (in order of decreasing importance): supply chain performance; supplier linkages; and linkages (supplier and customer taken together).

Practical implications

The results of this study give T&C firms in Egypt greater insight on how they may become globally competitive and leverage their proximity to key T&C markets. Egyptian T&C firms should invest in long‐term relationships with their suppliers and invest in business processes that involve their customers and that provide for a higher quality and level of information sharing.

Originality/value

There are no studies that empirically demonstrate how a management paradigm change towards a focus on supply chain management practices influences the performance of the T&C industry in the global market. The paper adds to the literature supporting the positive effect of supply chain management practices on firm performance. Also, new indicators for measuring export performance are suggested and tested.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 23 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2006

S. Gary Teng and Hector Jaramillo

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

4538

Abstract

Purpose

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.

Design/methodology/approach

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.

Findings

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.

Practical implications

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.

Originality/value

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.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2021

Julia Hartmann

To contribute to the development of a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), this study aims to focus on media attention as an under-researched…

2132

Abstract

Purpose

To contribute to the development of a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), this study aims to focus on media attention as an under-researched antecedent. Media transmit information about (good or bad) business practices and information recipients often adjust their behavior accordingly. Although media often uncover scandals in supply chains, no systematic understanding explicates how they shape lead firms’ reactions to scandals. This empirical study investigates how media attention to a major supply chain scandal influences buying companies’ SSCM.

Design/methodology/approach

The research setting is the fashion industry, five years after the Rana Plaza building collapse. Matched SSCM data from 73 fashion lead firms and news articles collected from major outlets were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression analyzes.

Findings

This study generates nuanced insights into the role of the media in triggering SSCM. Certain facets of media attention (direct media exposure and negative framing) result in higher levels of SSCM, others have no significant effect (media visibility) and some result in less SSCM (positive framing).

Research limitations/implications

The varying effects of different facets of media attention on SSCM have not been established previously. Both media and supply chain researchers should address these unique effects in their continued assessments.

Social implications

External stakeholders can use these findings to devise more effective ways to influence lead firms and improve social and environmental conditions in supply chains.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical investigation of the effects of various facets of media attention on SSCM.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 1 September 2008

Rebecca Prentice

This chapter concerns itself with a garment factory in Trinidad, West Indies, producing brand-name clothing for the Eastern Caribbean market. Workers in this factory not only…

Abstract

This chapter concerns itself with a garment factory in Trinidad, West Indies, producing brand-name clothing for the Eastern Caribbean market. Workers in this factory not only stitch garments for an hourly wage; but also stealthily operate a secondary assembly line, creating precise duplicates of the factory's products for themselves to take home and wear. Manufactured on the shop-floor alongside “legitimate” production, the copied garments are identical in every way to the genuine ones they mimic. In this chapter, I argue that workers have created a “loop” in the value chain: a simultaneous moment in which they are both producers and consumers of the factory's products. While “genuine” garments circulate through market-capitalist networks of exchange, copied garments only circulate through social networks – thereby accruing and representing forms of “value” that are distinct from market value. By looping the value chain, factory workers create non-market values alongside market-oriented ones, showing both sets of values to be interdependent. Workers’ own commentary on these processes offers a unique window onto contested meanings of “value” at work on the shop-floor.

Details

Hidden Hands in the Market: Ethnographies of Fair Trade, Ethical Consumption, and Corporate Social Responsibility
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-059-9

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2010

Frank den Hond, Frank G.A. de Bakker and Patricia de Haan

Activist groups apply a range of tactics in order to improve labour conditions in the global sports and apparel industry. The accumulation of these tactics leads to the build‐up…

2130

Abstract

Purpose

Activist groups apply a range of tactics in order to improve labour conditions in the global sports and apparel industry. The accumulation of these tactics leads to the build‐up of pressure on firms within this industry (brands, retailers) to change their policies and activities on labour issues in their supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to explore how activist groups instigate change within an industry.

Design/methodology/approach

By re‐examining a series of previously published accounts, eight conflict situations in the global sports and apparel industry, involving Nike, Reebok and Adidas, were analysed.

Findings

The paper demonstrates how an industry‐level approach is helpful in understanding how the sequential patterning of tactical choices evokes change in an industry. Studying activist groups’ tactics from this approach provides a richer understanding.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the growing literature on activists’ influence strategies in conflicts with firms and speaks to current attempts at bringing together social movement and organization theories.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 30 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 July 2024

Surajit Bag, Abhigyan Sarkar, Juhi Gahlot Sarkar, Helen Rogers and Gautam Srivastava

Although climate change-related risks affect all stakeholders along the supply chain, the potential impact on small and micro-sized suppliers is incredibly excessive. The…

Abstract

Purpose

Although climate change-related risks affect all stakeholders along the supply chain, the potential impact on small and micro-sized suppliers is incredibly excessive. The corresponding toll of these climate risk threats on the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers can adversely affect their participation in sustainability efforts, ultimately impacting the firm's performance. This often-overlooked dynamic forms the core of our research. We probe into two pivotal aspects: how industry dynamism and climate risk affect the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers and how, in turn, dictate involvement and, consequently, supply chain sustainability performance. This is further nuanced by the moderating role of the abusive behavior of buyers.

Design/methodology/approach

Our study is built on resource dependency theory and the supporting empirical evidence is fortified by a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. This study comprises three phases. In the first phase, our experiment examines the effect of industry dynamism and climate risk exposure on sustainable supply chain management performance. Hypotheses H1a and H1b are tested in the first phase. The second phase involves using a survey and structural equation modeling to test the comprehensiveness of the model. Here, the relationship between industry dynamism, climate risk exposure, mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized supplier firms, supplier involvement and sustainable supply chain management (H2–H7) is tested in the second phase. In the third phase, we adopt a qualitative approach to verify and provide descriptive explanations of phase two findings.

Findings

Our findings underscore the significance of small and micro-sized suppliers in sustainability, offering invaluable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical implementation. Our study highlights that buyers must allocate sufficient resources to support small and micro-sized supplier firms and collaborate closely to address climate change and its impacts.

Practical implications

The key takeaway from this study is that buyer firms should consider SDG 3, which focuses on the good health and well-being of their employees and the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers in their upstream supply chain. This approach enhances sustainability performance in supply chains.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that shows that industry dynamism and climate risk exposure can negatively impact small and micro-sized suppliers in the presence of a contextual element, i.e. abusive behavior of buyers, and ultimately, it negatively impacts sustainable supply chain performance dimensions.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 August 2024

Stelvia V. Matos, Martin C. Schleper, Jeremy K. Hall, Chad M. Baum, Sean Low and Benjamin K. Sovacool

This paper aims to explore three operations and supply chain management (OSCM) approaches for meeting the 2 °C targets to counteract climate change: adaptation (adjusting to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore three operations and supply chain management (OSCM) approaches for meeting the 2 °C targets to counteract climate change: adaptation (adjusting to climatic impacts); mitigation (innovating towards low-carbon practices); and carbon-removing negative emissions technologies (NETs). We suggest that adaptation nor mitigation may be enough to meet the current climate targets, thus calling for NETs, resulting in the following question: How can operations and supply chains be reconceptualized for NETs?

Design/methodology/approach

We draw on the sustainable supply chain and transitions discourses along with interview data involving 125 experts gathered from a broad research project focused on geoengineering and NETs. We analyze three case studies of emerging NETs (biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage and ocean alkalinity enhancement), leading to propositions on the link between OSCM and NETs.

Findings

Although some NETs are promising, there remains considerable variance and uncertainty over supply chain configurations, efficacy, social acceptability and potential risks of unintended detrimental consequences. We introduce the concept of transformative OSCM, which encompasses policy interventions to foster the emergence of new technologies in industry sectors driven by social mandates but lack clear commercial incentives.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first that studies NETs from an OSCM perspective. It suggests a pathway toward new industry structures and policy support to effectively tackle climate change through carbon removal.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 44 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 July 2023

Santosh Kumar Shrivastav and Surajit Bag

The purpose of this study is to examine various data sources to identify trends and themes in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in the digital age.

3969

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine various data sources to identify trends and themes in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in the digital age.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, various data sources such as published literature and social media content from Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and forums are used to identify trending topics and themes on HSCM using topic modelling.

Findings

The study examined 33 published literature and more than 94,000 documents, including tweets and expert opinions, and identified eight themes related to HSCM in the digital age namely “Digital technology enabled global partnerships”, “Digital tech enabled sustainability”, “Digital tech enabled risk reduction for climate changes and uncertainties”, “Digital tech enabled preparedness, response and resilience”, “Digital tech enabled health system enhancement”, “Digital tech enabled food system enhancement”, “Digital tech enabled ethical process and systems” and “Digital tech enabled humanitarian logistics”. The study also proposed a framework of drivers, processes and impacts for each theme and directions for future research.

Originality/value

Previous research has predominantly relied on published literature to identify emerging themes and trends on a particular topic. This study is unique because it examines the ability of social media sources such as blogs, websites, forums and published literature to reveal evolving patterns and trends in HSCM in the digital age.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 October 2022

Jocelyn Finniear, Mrinalini Greedharry and Geraint Harvey

This chapter begins by introducing trade unions: their purpose in representing members, different perspectives on the role and impact of trade unions and the opposition they face

Abstract

This chapter begins by introducing trade unions: their purpose in representing members, different perspectives on the role and impact of trade unions and the opposition they face within the workplace. The chapter proceeds to discuss the role of, and particular challenges faced by, trade unions in the civil aviation industry. There follows a discussion of the role of women in civil aviation and both the crucial role played by women within trade unions and the role of trade unions in representing the interests of women. The chapter closes with a discussion of the role women might play in the revitalisation of the labour movement within the civil aviation industry.

Details

Women, Work and Transport
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-670-4

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000