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1 – 10 of over 4000Muhammad Azizul Islam and Craig Deegan
The aim of the paper is to describe and explain, using a combination of interviews and content analysis, the social and environmental reporting practices of a major garment export…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to describe and explain, using a combination of interviews and content analysis, the social and environmental reporting practices of a major garment export organisation within a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach
Senior executives from a major organisation in Bangladesh are interviewed to determine the pressures being exerted on them in terms of their social and environmental performance. The perceptions of pressures are then used to explain – via content analysis – changing social and environmental disclosure practices.
Findings
The results show that particular stakeholder groups have, since the early 1990s, placed pressure on the Bangladeshi clothing industry in terms of its social performance. This pressure, which is also directly related to the expectations of the global community, in turn drives the industry's social policies and related disclosure practices.
Research limitations/implications
The findings show that, within the context of a developing country, unless we consider the managers' perceptions about the social and environmental expectations being imposed upon them by powerful stakeholder groups then we will be unable to understand organisational disclosure practices.
Originality/value
This paper is the first known paper to interview managers from a large organisation in a developing country about changing stakeholder expectations and then link these changing expectations to annual report disclosures across an extended period of analysis.
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Mohammad Ali, Syed Mahbubur Rahman and Guilherme F. Frederico
The readymade garments (RMG) industry acts as one of the foremost vital catalysts for financial as well as social advancement of Bangladesh. Due to the harsh impact of COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
The readymade garments (RMG) industry acts as one of the foremost vital catalysts for financial as well as social advancement of Bangladesh. Due to the harsh impact of COVID-19, RMG sector has been confronting a never-seen-before phenomenon. Since the supply chain has seriously been influenced, concern raises among industry and policymakers on how to support against disturbances resulting from pandemics. Accordingly, this research aims to explore the vulnerability and capability factors of RMG sector in Bangladesh, their relationship and how these variables affect supply chain resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design has been employed. In the first stage, content analysis has been performed. Since COVID-19 is a new experience, newspapers were the source to become acquainted with the vulnerability and capability factors following the guidelines provided by Pettit et al. (2010). In the second stage, in-depth interviews with key informants were conducted to investigate the relationship among the variables and how these factors may influence supply chain resilience.
Findings
This study identifies fourteen capability factors and their sub-factors of RMG industry in Bangladesh in order to improve the resilience capacity against the vulnerabilities in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.
Research limitations/implications
This research is based on the setting of particular industry in Bangladesh, where respondents are immersed in a unique culture. Special care is required to generalize the results to other segments and phenomena.
Practical implications
The framework recognizes the balanced and unbalanced strength with the capability's components and find the relation between capabilities and vulnerabilities within the fashion industry. By creating the resilience network with the four conceivable positions, companies can find themselves with their capability's components and natural vulnerabilities.
Originality/value
This study investigates diverse components of capability figure against vulnerabilities to create the supply chain resilience. This paper, moreover, develops with four conceivable positions with their capabilities against existing vulnerabilities which brings timely contribution considering the context of COVID-19.
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The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry…
Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.
This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholders' expectations in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR)–related corporate governance practices. The paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholders' expectations in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR)–related corporate governance practices. The paper aims to understand how stakeholders' expectations potentially translate into the disclosure of information about CSR-related corporate governance practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The evidence for this study was collected using semi-structured in-depth personal interviews with 18 stakeholders. These include representative of multinational buying companies who source garments from Bangladesh, international as well as local NGOs, news media personnel, senior government officials, trade union leaders and social audit firm.
Findings
This paper finds evidence of stakeholders' dissatisfaction with the disclosures of governance information which tended to be viewed as limited and symbolic in nature. It also finds an apparent disconnection between stakeholder expectations and corporate disclosures.
Originality/value
This paper finds an alternative media of disclosures, for communicating social responsibility related governance information to the stakeholders, which has so far, been neglected by the social accounting researchers.
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Manoj Kumar Paras, Lichuan Wang, Rudrajeet Pal and Daniel Ekwall
This study proposes a garment modularization model based on an interactive genetic algorithm. The suggested model consists of extraction and identification of parts and the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a garment modularization model based on an interactive genetic algorithm. The suggested model consists of extraction and identification of parts and the determination and implementation of connections. Rules and corresponding mathematical equations have been formulated for the part's extractions from the discarded products and connections for the redesigned products.
Design/methodology/approach
Sustainability entices scholars and practitioners while referring to reducing waste to control environmental degradation. One of the ways to safeguard natural resources is to increase the reuse of old or discarded products. The current study focuses on the redesign process to improve the reuse of products.
Findings
The intelligent system proposed based on the modularization techniques is expected to simplify and quantify the redesign process. The model can further help in the minimization of wastage and environmental degradation.
Originality/value
Presently, manual decisions are taken by the designers based on their memory, experience and intuition to extract and join the parts.
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Ikramul Hasan, M. Nazmul Islam and Sariat Rafa Khan
This study illustrates the effects of the motivating factors (e.g. learning facilities, employees' compensation and working environment) on organizational attractiveness.
Abstract
Purpose
This study illustrates the effects of the motivating factors (e.g. learning facilities, employees' compensation and working environment) on organizational attractiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a quantitative study. This study investigates the hypotheses based on the 160 employee responses from the different garments operating in Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMGs) industry.
Findings
Using the structural equation modeling in Bangladesh's RMG industry, this paper argues that the working environment has a significant effect on organizational attractiveness in Bangladesh's RMG industry. This research study underlines that the working environment and employee compensations serve better than the employees learning facilities to grow employees RMG attraction.
Research limitations/implications
The findings will help practitioners of the garment manufacturers to showcase the motivating factors for the employees in growing attraction for the industry. However, the research is limited to the garment industry in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Moreover, similar research can be extended further in other countries with bigger samples to draw a general conclusion for the RMGs' operating in Asia.
Practical implications
This paper brings a plea for the practitioners through this research's outcomes and provides useful indications of how organizations can motivate their employees to ensure organizational attractiveness for their garment industry.
Originality/value
The paper also contributes to the body of the literature relating to attractiveness in Bangladesh's RMG sector. Employees' participation in this research also confirms the unique context of the sector.
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Mohammad Ahsan Habib, Sreejith Balasubramanian, Vinaya Shukla, David Chitakunye and Janya Chanchaichujit
The garments/textiles industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. However, efforts to understand and curtail its adverse environmental impacts have not been…
Abstract
Purpose
The garments/textiles industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. However, efforts to understand and curtail its adverse environmental impacts have not been commensurate, and previous works have largely been fragmented and disjointed. This study aims to coduct a comprehensive and systematic green supply chain management (GSCM) investigation on this industry, where a multidimensional framework involving green supply chain practices and performance is developed, validated and applied.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework consisting of 12 constructs (8 on practices and 4 on performance) and their underlying measures were developed through an extensive literature review. A survey methodology was used to obtain responses from 403 garment-manufacturing firms in Bangladesh, one of the leading garment producers in the world. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used first to validate the first- and second-order constructs and then test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings
Internal environmental management and cooperation with stakeholders were identified as necessary precursors for implementing the second-order green supply chain practices comprising green design, green purchasing, green manufacturing, green transportation, green facilities and end-of-life management. The implementation of green supply chain practices was found to have a (direct) positive impact on environmental, economic and operational performance and an indirect positive impact on organizational performance. Similarly, both economic and operational performance was found to impact organizational performance positively. Surprisingly, a negative relationship (albeit low) was observed between environmental and organizational performance. Also, garment-manufacturing firms were found to have been unable to translate their IEM capabilities into strategic and long-term cooperation with stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
The study fills a gap in the literature about applying/implementing GSCM in the garment industry. Future studies in the garment industry and elsewhere could utilize the framework to understand further the synergistic impact of green supply chain practices on performance.
Practical implications
The findings provide practitioners, policymakers and organizations associated with the garment industry with critical insights on the various opportunities and challenges in adopting GSCM. Also, the positive impact of green supply chain practices on performance could provide the impetus for manufacturing firms to adopt GSCM.
Originality/value
A comprehensive GSCM investigation on the garment industry has not been previously attempted and constitutes the novelty of this work. Also, Bangladesh is the second-largest garment exporter worldwide, making this study contribution even more valuable.
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Looks at the eighth published year of the ITCRR and the research, from far and near, involved in this. Muses on the fact that, though all the usual processes are to the fore, the…
Abstract
Looks at the eighth published year of the ITCRR and the research, from far and near, involved in this. Muses on the fact that, though all the usual processes are to the fore, the downside part of the industry is garment making which is the least developed side. Posits that the manufacture of clothing needs to become more technologically advanced as does retailing. Closes by emphasising support for the community in all its efforts.
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Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects…
Abstract
Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.
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M. Azizul Islam and Victoria Wise
Corporate sustainability focuses on three key organisational aspects including social, environmental and financial performance. It deals with how to organise and manage human…
Abstract
Corporate sustainability focuses on three key organisational aspects including social, environmental and financial performance. It deals with how to organise and manage human actions in such a way that they meet physical and psychological demands without compromising the ecological, social and economic base which enables these needs to be met (Unerman, Bebbington, & O'Dwyer, 2007). The fundamental view of sustainability is that organisations should not pursue economic gains at the expense of society (e.g. human rights violations), ecology (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions) and the future generations. The main aim in this chapter is to focus on corporate social and environmental sustainability. In particular, this chapter focuses on the online social and environmental sustainability performance reporting practices of three global supply organisations operating in Bangladesh which is regarded as a developing nation. Social and environmental sustainability activities and associated reporting is a central part of the analysis as it appears that global garments supply organisations in developing nations respond to meet the needs of those stakeholders who are affected by their operations.