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This paper aims to examine and compare the export performance and competitiveness of Indian and Chinese textile and clothing industry in post-multifibre arrangement (MFA) era.

Balassa’s revealed comparative advantage Index is used to assess the competitiveness of Indian and Chinese textile and clothing exports.

The results indicate that China’s textiles and garments sector holds a greater proportion of the global market compared with India. India has a robust comparative advantage in silk, carpets and cotton post-MFA. Vegetable textile fibers, paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn are also competitive. China had a strong comparative advantage in silk and fabrics; special woven fabrics, tafted textile fabrics, lace, tapestries, trimmings and embroidery in 2005. China also recorded comparative advantage in silk, man-made filaments: strip and the like of man-made textile materials, fabrics; special woven fabrics, tafted textile fabrics, lace, tapestries, trimmings and embroidery and fabrics; knitted or crocheted in 2021.

This study’s results and recommendations could assist the Indian and Chinese Governments develop policies to upgrade their garment industries.

Though vast literature reviews are available for textile and apparel export performance in India and China separately, there are few studies on comparisons. This study is a significant attempt to evaluate India and China’s competitiveness in the global market.

The paper aims to provide an investigation about the effect of weft yarn type on thermal comfort and air permeability properties of Lyocell blended drapery fabrics.

The paper evaluates the effect of weft yarn type on thermal comfort and air permeability properties of Lyocell blended drapery fabrics. Twill drapery fabrics with 18 Tex linen warp yarn where two types of weft yarns were utilized respectively with the order of “A” yarn and “B” yarn. 58 Tex Lyocell Linen blended first weft yarn (A yarn) was kept constant and the second weft yarn (B yarn) varied in different yarn structures and yarn count. Thermal comfort properties such as thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity, thermal absorptivity, fabric thickness were measured by means of Alambeta device. Correlation matrix between the thermal properties was also displayed. Air permeability results were obtained by using SDL Atlas Digital Air Permeability Tester Model M 021 A. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was performed in order to investigate the effect of weft yarn type on thermal comfort and air permeability properties of Lyocell blended drapery fabrics.

In this paper, weft yarn type was found as a significant factor on some of the thermal comfort properties such as thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity, thermal absorptivity, fabric thickness and on the air permeability properties.

There are limited works related to evaluation of some thermal comfort and air permeability properties of Lyocell blended drapery fabrics.

Wool fiber is accepted as one of the natural and renewable sources and has been used in the apparel and textile industry since ancient times. However, wool fiber has the highest global warming potential value among conventional fibres due to its high land use and high methane gas generation. This study aimed to recycle the wool fabric wastes and also to create a mini eco-collection by using the produced yarns.

This manuscript aimed to evaluate the fabric wastes of a woolen fabric producer company. Fabric wastes were opened with two different opening systems and fiber properties were determined. First, conventional ring yarns were produced in the company’s own spinning mill by mixing the opened fibres with the long fiber wastes of the company. In addition, opening wastes were mixed with different fibres (polyester, long wool waste, and Tencel fibres) between 25% and 70% in the short-staple yarn spinning mill and used in the production of conventional ring and OE-rotor yarns. Most of the yarns contained waste fibres at 50%. Recycled and virgin yarns were used as a weft and warp yarn and a total of 270 woven fabric samples were obtained and fabric properties were examined. Also, a fabric collection was created. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was made for one of the selected yarns.

At the end of the study, it was determined that it was possible to produce yarn and fabric samples from fiber blends containing high waste fiber ratios beyond 50%. All the woven fabric samples produced from conventional ring and OE-rotor yarns gave higher breaking, tearing and stitch slip strength values in the weft and warp direction than limit quality values of the company. In addition, abrasion resistance and WIRA steam stability properties of the fabric samples were also sufficient. Environmental analysis of the recycling of the wastes showed a possible decrease of about 9940034.3 kg CO2e per year in the global warming potential. In addition, fiber raw material expenses reduced yarn production cost about 50% in case of opened fabric waste usage. However, due to insufficient pilling resistance results, it was decided to evaluate the woven fabrics for the product groups such as shawls and blankets, where pilling resistance is less sought.

The original aspects of the article can be summarized under two headings. First, there are limited studies on the evaluation of wool wastes compared to cotton and polyester fibres and the number of samples examined was limited. However, this study was quite comprehensive in terms of opening type (rag and tearing), spinning systems (long and short spinning processes), fiber blends (waste 100% and blends with polyester, long wool waste and Tencel fibres) and yarn counts (coarser and finer). Recycled and virgin yarns were used as a weft and warp yarn and a total of 270 woven fabric samples were obtained using different colour combinations and weave types. All processes from fabric waste to product production were followed and evaluated. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis was also done. The second unique aspect is that the problem of a real wool company was handled by taking the waste of the woolen company and a collection was created for the customer group of the company. Production was made under real production conditions. Therefore, this study will provide important findings to the research field about recycling, sustainability etc.

This study aims to characterize the properties of natural cellulose fiber from the pseudo-stems of the curcuma zedoaria plant.

The fiber was extracted using the biological retting process (cold-water retting). The intrinsic fiber properties obtained were used to evaluate the possibility of using fiber for textile applications.

The average length of a curcuma zedoaria fiber was 34.77 cm with a fineness value of 6.72 Tex. A bundle of curcuma zedoaria fibers was comprised of many elementary fibers. Curcuma zedoaria had an irregular cross-section, with the lumen having a varied oval shape. Curcuma zedoaria fibers had tenacity and elongation value of 3.32 gf/denier and 6.95%, respectively. Curcuma zedoaria fibers had a coefficient of friction value of 0.46. Curcuma zedoaria fibers belong to a hygroscopic fiber type with a moisture regain value of 10.29%.

Extraction and Characterization of Curcuma zedoaria Pseudo-stems Fibers for Textile Application.

The aim of this study is to develop a new multidimensional index to measure export potential of textile firms by using firm-level data.

After a conceptual model, a structural equation model is developed with five dimensions and 27 observed variables based on resource-based view theory. The measurement model is solved by Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) with maximum likelihood algorithm by using data collected from 454 textile firms in Türkiye.

In this study, a new multidimensional index that measures export potential of textile firms is developed. With the proposed model, the export potential of textile firms can be calculated numerically with the five dimensions: Resources, Dynamism, Knowledge, Innovation and Sustainability. The comparison of the output of the proposed model with the control variable, firm’s actual export values, shows a significantly high success ratio of 90.76%.

The model is applicable for textile firms at different export levels, regions and sub-sectors. The Export Potential Index for Textile Industry model is verified by using Turkish textile industry data. The robustness of the model may be increased by verifying the model by using some other countries data. This model can be implemented to other industrial sectors with some modification of the dimensions and variables.

The proposed model will contribute to the firms by calculating their export potential in five dimensions with their own variables numerically. The model will help firms to develop strategies to increase their export potential and to the governmental and industrial organizations to develop incentives policies.

This paper fills the gap in the literature by proposing a multidimensional index that determines a firm’s export potential numerically by using firm-level data.

The comfort of apparel is not only a feeling of perception but also a tangible measure. The fit and fabric of clothing can exert a perception of comfort for the wearer, whereas actual comfort largely depends on physiological and emotional soothing. However, there is still no solid work on connecting the bridge between physiological and emotional feelings to the comfort of clothing. In this study, we have conceptualized, formulated and proven the relation between physiological and emotional parameters with clothing fit and fabric to find the true comfort of the wearer.

A mixed-method research design using physiological and emotional parameters for different fabric and fit combinations were used for this study. The physiological comfort parameters (i.e. heart rate and respiration rate) are extracted from the subjects using gold-standard clinical devices for various fit and fabric combinations. For the emotional response, a survey was conducted for the same subjects wearing all the fit and fabric combinations. Statistical analysis and modeling were performed to obtain the results.

Physiological indicators such as heart rate are closely linked with user comfort. Due to the limitations in environmental control, the physiological changes obtained did not significantly vary for different fabric and fit combinations of the clothing. However, a significant change in emotional response indicated a definite relationship between different fabric and fit types. Based on the participants’ responses, weather conditions, size of the clothing item, types of fabrics and style also influence the participants’ choice of clothing.

The research was conducted to discover the relation between true comfort (physiological and emotional parameters) and clothing (fit and fabric), which is unique to the field. This study closes the gap and builds up the relationship, which can help introduce clothing comfort to users in the future. The findings of this study help us understand how fabric types (natural or synthetic) and clothing fit types (loose or fitted) can affect physiological and emotional responses, which can provide the consumer with satisfactory clothing with the suitable properties needed.

The main purpose of this paper is to explore whether the nature of innovation is accumulative or radical and to what extent past year accumulation of technology stock can predict future innovation. More importantly, the authors are concerned with whether a change of policy regime or a variance in the quality of technology will moderate the nature of innovation.

The authors examined a dataset of 3.6 million Chinese patents during 1985–2015 and constructed more than 5 million citation pairs across 8 sections and 128 classes to track knowledge spillover across technology fields. The authors used this citation dataset to calculate the technology innovation network. The authors constructed a measure of upstream invention, interacting the pre-existing technology innovation network with historical patent growth in each technology field, and estimated measure's impact on future innovation since 2005. The authors also constructed three sets of metrics – technology dependence, centrality and scientific value – to identify innovation quality and a policy dummy to consider the impact of policy on innovation.

Innovation growth is built upon past year accumulation and technology spillover. Innovation grows faster for technologies that are more central and grows more slowly for more valuable technologies. A pro-innovation and pro-intellectual property right (IPR) policy plays a positive and significant role in driving technical progress. The authors also found that for technologies that have faster access to new information or larger power to control knowledge flow, the upstream and downstream innovation linkage is stronger. However, this linkage is weaker for technologies that are more novel or general. On most occasions, the nature of innovation was less responsive to policy shock.

This paper contributes to the debate on the nature of innovation by determining whether upstream innovation has strong predictive power on future innovation. The authors develop the assumption used in the technology spillover literature by considering a time-variant, directional and asymmetric matrix to model technology diffusion. For the first time, the authors answer how the nature of innovation will vary depending on the technology network configurations and policy environment. In addition to contributing to the academic debate, the authors' study has important implications for economic growth and industrial or innovation management policies.

As sustainability becomes more important in manufacturing, researchers recommend using the four-stage Hayes and Wheelwright (H-W) model of strategic manufacturing effectiveness (SME) to integrate sustainable manufacturing practices (SMPs) at a strategic level. However, there is limited research on this topic. This paper investigates SMPs encompassing four sustainable manufacturing capabilities (SMCs): pollution control, pollution prevention, product stewardship, and clean technology. It relates these SMCs to the four SME stages of the H-W model, both of which form a continuum of stages.

A theoretical model on the congruence between SMCs and SME stages is first established using organizational theories to identify the dominant combinations. This model is then tested by examining 178 SMPs of four large manufacturing firms.

The study reveals that the SMPs of the case firms clearly show SMC and SME stage characteristics. Few deviations from the relationships established in the theoretical model are observed, leading to a revision of the model. A major finding is that SMPs within an SMC category can span multiple SME stages.

The study proposes a revised model based on a small sample of case firms, which may limit its broader applicability.

Manufacturing practitioners can use the findings of this study to plan SMPs that align with their SME goals.

Towards incorporating sustainability in the H-W model, this is the first major exploratory study that establishes congruent relationship between SMCs and SME stages of the H-W model.

This study aims to examine the impact of intellectual capital (IC) on default risk in Indian companies listed on the National Stock Exchange.

This study applies panel data regression analysis to derive a relationship between IC and default risk for the sample period 2013–2022. The value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) of Pulic (2000) has been applied to measure IC performance, and default risk is estimated using the revised Z-score model of Altman (2000).

The results revealed a positive association between Z-score and VAIC. It implies that a higher value of VAIC improves financial stability and leads to a lower likelihood of default. The findings further suggest that new default forecasting models can be experimented with IC indicators for better default prediction.

The findings can have implications for investors and banks. This paper provides evidence of IC performance in improving the financial solvency of firms. Investors and financial institutions should invest their resources in a healthy firm that effectively manages and invests in their IC. It will eventually award investors and creditors high returns through efficient value-creation processes.

This study provides evidence of IC performance in improving the financial solvency of Indian high-defaulting firms, which lacks sufficient evidence in this domain of research. Numerous studies exist examining the relationship between firm performance and IC value, but this area is inadequately focused and underresearched. This study, therefore, fills the research gap from an Indian perspective.

The changing roles of the United Nations (UN) and national institutions have made addressing climate change a critical concern for many multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) survival and growth. This chapter discusses how such institutions, which vary in their nature and characteristics, shape firm strategies for climate change adaptation. Exploring different versions of institutional theory, the chapter demonstrates how and why institutional characteristics affect typical patterns of firm ownership, governance, and capabilities. These, in turn, influence companies’ internationalisation and climate-change strategies. Climate change poses challenges to how we understand firms’ strategic decisions from both an international business (IB) (HQ–subsidiary relations) and global value chains (GVC) (buyer–supplier relations) perspective. However, climate change also provides opportunities for companies to gain competitive advantages – if firms can reconfigure and adapt faster than their competitors. Existing IB and GVC research tends to downplay the importance of climate change strategies and the ways in which coherent or dysfunctional institutions affect firms’ reconfiguration and adaptation strategies in a globally dispersed network of value creation. This chapter presents a perspective on the institutional conditions that affect firms’ climate change strategies regarding ownership, location, and internalisation (OLI), and GVCs, with ‘investment’ and ‘emerging standards’ playing a significant role. The authors illustrate the discussion using several examples from the Global South (i.e. Bangladesh) and the Global North (i.e. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany) with a special emphasis on the garment industry. The aim is to encourage future research to examine how a ‘business systems’, or varieties of capitalism, institutional perspective can complement the analysis of sustainability and climate change strategies in IB and GVC studies.