The development of an apparel industry business model for Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Campaniaris ◽  
Richard Murray ◽  
Steven Hayes ◽  
Michael Jeffrey

Purpose – Earlier attempts to develop a strategy for the apparel industry in Canada to counter the adverse effects of trade liberalisation on Canadian apparel suppliers have been based on the concept of clustering. However, despite the support from government-supported industry bodies, clustering has not been forthcoming and this situation has created a pressing need for the development of an alternative to the clustering strategy. A study by the Canadian Apparel Human Resources Council offered up several different strategies including clustering, that the Canadian apparel industry might pursue, but these have not been taken up. Evidence gained from government reports on the industry and its performance, industry case studies, an experience survey and questionnaire reported earlier, leads to a radically different alternative with a more direct relationship between Canadian apparel suppliers and retailer. The purpose of this paper is to report and construct an evidence-based collaborative strategy together with its accompanying apparel industry business model. Design/methodology/approach – The evidence gained from case studies of Canadian apparel businesses, a secondary data search, an experience survey and an online questionnaire has been followed and combined with retailer requirements from apparel suppliers. Findings – The information gained from apparel industry representatives, government sources and industry reports has enabled step-by-step construction of an evidence-based business model centred on the formation of collaborative partnerships between apparel suppliers and retailers. Originality/value – The model reflects the fact that Canadian apparel retailers have taken the leading role in the supplier/retailer relationship and shows how Canadian apparel suppliers might better position themselves to combat competition from offshore suppliers through the formation of closer links with retail partners. It points not only to a requirement for Canadian apparel suppliers to become integrated into their retail partner’s retail management systems and technology, but also demonstrates the need for the formation of strong alliances through collaborative partnerships between supplier and retailer to address the needs of the apparel market.

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Campaniaris ◽  
Richard Murray ◽  
Steven Hayes ◽  
Michael Jeffrey

Purpose – The Canadian apparel industry has long been challenged by imports from low-wage countries while its exports have declined since their height in 2002. This situation was exacerbated with trade liberalisation, which started in January 2005. Data from Industry Canada and a number of studies, amongst which those of the Apparel Human Resources Council (AHRC), showing the adverse effects of trade liberalisation since the phasing out of the multi-fibre agreement in 2005, the lack of competitive advantage for Canada as an apparel manufacturing nation and the subsequent rapid decline of its apparel industry, pointed to the need for a strategic response from the Canadian apparel industry, particularly from small to medium-sized enterprises. A study conducted for the AHRC of the Federal Government of Canada outlined a number of strategies that Canadian apparel companies could pursue, focusing on elements other than manufacturing in the traditional apparel value chain. These strategies seemed to suggest the implementation of a cluster approach where greater cooperation between suppliers would be required throughout the supply chain with a focus on functional expertise and relationships. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether a cluster strategy is being applied or if indeed it is applicable to Canada’s apparel companies. Design/methodology/approach – A literature search, was undertaken to find the options available for the organisation of SMEs so that: an analytical framework could be created from the various theories and concepts that; would enable the evidence-based selection of an option or options suitable for adoption by Canadian apparel SMEs, to assist them to be more effective than stand-alone enterprises. Data were collected from case studies of Canadian apparel companies, an Experience Survey (conducted through face-to-face interviews with the directors of the AHRC, the Canadian Apparel Federation, Industry Canada, and Canadian retail and apparel supply executives) and from the responses to an online questionnaire sent to Canadian apparel suppliers. The data were subjected to examination using the analytical framework to determine whether the evidence existed on which to base a cluster-based strategic response to competition from overseas apparel suppliers, or whether one of the alternative options might be a more suitable match with the Canadian apparel business environment. Findings – Neither the case studies nor the Experience Survey revealed sufficient evidence of open communication or of cooperation among suppliers in areas that would fortify horizontal clustering amongst apparel SMEs, such as the sharing of labour, market research or supply chain management; similar findings emerged from the online questionnaire sent to Canadian apparel suppliers, which showed little evidence favouring cluster development as a strategic response for the Canadian apparel supply industry. The research also showed that industrialists, experts and government advisors all recognised that, beginning with trade liberalisation in 2005, there had been a transformation of the Canadian apparel industry from a manufacturing to a service industry with the retailers taking much stronger control of the supply chain than before, which, taken together with the lack of open communication or cooperation among apparel suppliers gives rise to conditions which favour collaboration over clustering. Originality/value – The paper provides a firm evidence base upon which to develop a different strategy for Canadian SMEs than the cluster approach that has been proposed to date. The findings reported in this paper show that Canadian apparel industry leaders, government and industry-led support organisations, retailers and suppliers all recognise that the type of open communication or of cooperation among suppliers in areas that would fortify horizontal clustering amongst apparel SMEs, such as the sharing of labour, market research or supply chain management does not occur to a sufficient extent to support the adoption of a cluster strategy by the Canadian apparel sector (although it may be applicable in Quebec). Canadian retailers have now taken the leading role in the supplier/retailer relationship. Any future strategy will need to take account of this repositioning of retailers and be centred upon vertical relationships between individual apparel suppliers and retailers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Van Deuren ◽  
Tsegazeab Kahsu ◽  
Seid Mohammed ◽  
Wondimu Woldie

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze and illustrate achievements and challenges of Ethiopian higher education, both at the system level and at the level of new public universities. Design/methodology/approach – Achievements and challenges at the system level are based on literature review and secondary data. Illustrative case studies are based on university data and interviews with university representatives. Findings – The Ethiopian higher education system has increased its enrollments substantially. The construction of 13 new universities that started enrolling students around 2007 contributed greatly to this achievement. Challenges accompanying this growth lie in funding, quality and quantity of staffing, teaching practices, research and community service, quality assurance and gender balance. Originality/value – The present study contributes to existing literature by describing case studies illustrating challenges and achievements in new public universities in Ethiopian higher education.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Anthony Kirby ◽  
Iman El-Kaffass

PurposeThe article is intended to consider how entrepreneurship needs to adapt if it is to address the global sustainability challenge. The intention is to propose a new business model that recognises the interconnectedness of the global ecosystem.Design/methodology/approachThe article analyses two case studies purposively written to demonstrate the difference between the traditional entrepreneurship approach, dating back to the 19th century and the proposed harmonised one. Both cases are based on secondary data and personal field observation.FindingsWhile the two cases focus on wealth creation, job generation and innovation, the traditional approach is shown to have had a long-term deleterious impact on both society and the environment, whereas the proposed harmonised approach impacts positively. The article recognises the multifaceted nature of the sustainability challenge and that the three elements (economy/commerce, society and environment) are interconnected. If there is a change in the status of one the other, connected facets will change or will need to be changed. Thus any solution needs to address all three facets.Social implicationsThe proposed business model will be of interest to scholars and practitioners of entrepreneurship and sustainability, as well as to policy makers and educators.Originality/valueApart from proposing a new business model that will address the sustainability challenge, the article provides a definition of harmonious entrepreneurship and identifies the conditions required for it to be met, as well as the characteristics of the harmonious entrepreneur.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Still ◽  
Marina Papalexi ◽  
Yiyi Fan ◽  
David Bamford

Purpose This paper aims to explore the development and application of place crowd safety management tools for areas of public assembly and major events, from a practitioner perspective. Design/methodology/approach The crowd safety risk assessment model is known as design, information, management-ingress, circulation, egress (DIM-ICE) (Still, 2009) is implemented to optimise crowd safety and potentially throughput. Three contrasting case studies represent examples of some of the world’s largest and most challenging crowd safety projects. Findings The paper provides some insight into how the DIM-ICE model can be used to aid strategic planning at major events, assess potential crowd risks and to avoid potential crowd safety issues. Practical implications It provides further clarity to what effective place management practice is. Evidence-based on the case studies demonstrates that the application of the DIM-ICE model is useful for recognising potential place crowd safety issues and identifying areas for require improvement. Originality/value Crowd science is an emerging field of research, which is primarily motivated by place crowd safety issues in congested places; the application and reporting of an evidence-based model (i.e. DIM-ICE model) add to this. The paper addresses a research gap related to the implementation of analytic tools in characterising place crowd dynamics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Moore ◽  
Lori Rothenberg ◽  
Harry Moser

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between contingency factors and reshoring drivers in the US textile and apparel industry. Design/methodology/approach Secondary data on the reshoring drivers and contingency factors for 140 US textile and apparel companies are analyzed using analysis of proportions. Findings The findings show that total annual revenue is significantly related to the reshoring driver of skilled workforce. No significant relationships are present between reshoring drivers and the region of the world reshored from not the region of the USA from which a company operates. There is a significant relationship between market segment and the reshoring driver of manufacturing process. The US production category (reshored, FDI, or kept from offshoring) exhibits a significant relationship with sustainability-related and cost-related reshoring drivers. Quality is a significant driver for reshoring from 2010 to 2016, although decreasing as a reported reason over that time period. Research limitations/implications Limitations include a focus on one industry, the lack of information to investigate the differences between companies making captive or outsourced reshoring decisions, and the use of companies who publicly announced reshoring. Practical implications This study outlines the relationships between contingency factors and reshoring drivers. The results provide companies with information about resources that will be demand (e.g. skilled workers) as well as policies and regulations that may be developed to address concerns such as sustainability. Originality/value This study adds to the limited number of studies on the relationships between contingency factors and reshoring drivers and contributes to the quantitative research on reshoring drivers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-33

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Business model innovation can be a key facet to gaining a competitive advantage and subsequent success of any organization. This is investigated in this paper through French manufacturing SMEs with a turnover of less than €50m. Originality/value The paper saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent, information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behrooz Rasuli ◽  
Mehdi Alipour-Hafezi ◽  
Sam Solaimani

Purpose Implementing and maintaining Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) program at a national level encounters numerous difficulties in particular from technical, legal, business, and financial perspective. Business model (BM) is a tool to help to address business-driven challenges, such as business feasibility and viability, as one of the important aspects. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the BM practiced by different national Electronic Theses and Dissertations (NETDs) cases. Design/methodology/approach BM of seven NETDs programs have been studied through an online questionnaire; besides, programs’ websites were observed and related documents were examined. Business model canvas (BMC) was used to describe the business rationale behind the selected cases. Findings Most of the NETDs programs lack a documented BM. The main value of these programs is sharing ETDs which is offered to academics through online channels; skillful staff and proper hardware/software are their main resources to do so. Furthermore, their key activities are developing hardware/software and negotiating with ETDs owners as their key partners. All these activities required huge cost which is generally covered by public funding. Originality/value This study pioneers in applying BM concept into field of NETDs. Therefore, the major contribution of this study is to provide an analysis of NETDs programs’ BM through BMC. Furthermore, the paper provides recommendations on how ETDs could be implemented in a cost effective, sustainable, and viable way.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-254
Author(s):  
Pedro Isaías ◽  
Luisa Cagica Carvalho ◽  
Nildo Cassundé Junior ◽  
Fernanda Roda Cassundé

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an e-business assessment framework for organizations that aim to enhance the effectiveness of their online presence and maximize the benefits that result from it. The framework is based on three main pillars derived from the academic literature research: e-marketing strategies, customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and business model strategies. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews the literature from e-Marketing, CRM and business model strategies, leading to the generation of an e-Business assessment framework. Second, it takes 19 case studies and analyzes them using ATLAS.ti, through qualitative content analysis, to validate that framework. Findings Pragmatic advice for practitioners derives from research results considering that this framework enables managers to characterize the company in terms of its e-business approach, making it possible to determine the level of depth of competitive online strategies. Lessons for an improved e-business approach can be derived from this paper. Originality/value This study proposes a novel e-business framework to assist organizations that want to have an online presence. This framework is comprised of the factors identified in the literature review that contribute to define and scope that online presence. The framework is then validated through the collection of 19 case studies of companies that have this online presence, validating the theoretical findings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Rosalba Manna

Purposes This paper aims at investigating the link between inter-organizational relationships and innovation, discussing whether the probability to detect a greater innovation propensity of organizations increases with or without collaborative partnerships. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on secondary data provided by the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) about a representative sample of 8,967 Italian firms, three multinomial logit models and four logit models have been estimated, in an attempt to examine the effects of inter-organizational relationships on different types of organizational innovation. Findings A positive and statistically significant relationship between inter-organizational relationships and organizational innovation emerged from all the models which were arranged for the purpose of this study. Several categories of partners, including suppliers, universities and firms belonging to the same holding group, were found to be more effective in fostering the probability of organizational innovation. Interestingly, geographical proximity did not seem to influence the organizational propensity to innovate. Practice implications Even though further developments are needed to disentangle the complex link between inter-organizational relationships and organizational innovation, the former are likely to positively affect the innovation ability of organizations. From this point of view, it could be argued that partners perform as catalysts, which boost the knowledge creation process underlying the emergence of organizational innovation. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts to exploit the potential of multinomial logit models and logit models to investigate the effects of inter-organizational relationships on the propensity of organizations to innovate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Batel Eshkol ◽  
Alon Eshkol

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the gap between the declarations regarding participatory planning and its actual implementation in practice within the Israeli spatial planning context. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the gap between theory of participatory spatial planning and its implementation in practice by a comparative analysis of three participatory case studies in the Israeli planning context. The data collected to analyze the case studies is secondary data, including previous research on the three case studies and their re-evaluation on the basis of indicators for participation. Findings Participatory spatial planning processes are not often implemented in the Israeli context, as they are not required by law. All the three case studies explored in this paper deal with local spatial plans at the neighborhood level, but each expresses a very different participation mode: one is a national, government-led program; the second is a residents-led opposition to a municipal plan; and the third is a third-sector initiative offering an alternative plan to an existing one. The findings suggest that there is a correlation between the initiating body, its commitment to participation and the level of success of the participatory process. Research limitations/implications This paper focuses on three specific participatory spatial planning projects in Israel. Further exploration of additional participatory projects may prove useful to verify or refute the conclusions reached in this paper. Originality/value There is very little exploration and evaluation of participatory spatial planning processes in Israel. This paper provides a valuable, although limited, analysis, linking participatory planning theory to practice within the Israeli context.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document