Towards Circular Economy for More Sustainable Apparel Consumption: Testing the Value-Belief-Norm Theory in Brazil and in The Netherlands

The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle of garments and fast-fashion’s throw-away culture. The circular economy provides solutions to minimise and prevent these problems through innovative circular business models, which require changes in consumer behaviours. With the lens of environmental psychology, we analyse consumers’ willingness to acquire circular apparel considering four approaches on clothing life-cycle extension. We conducted an online questionnaire among Brazilian and Dutch consumers and tested if the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory can explain the willingness of consumers to purchase circular apparel. Our results indicate that, overall, the variables from the VBN theory explain circular behaviour in the apparel industry and that the paths suggested by the model are supported by our analyses. Additionally, we tested and found that when all of the variables from the VBN theory were controlled for, materialistic values did not explain circular behaviours in the apparel industry among Brazilian respondents. However, they had a positive influence on some circular apparel behaviours among Dutch consumers. Overall, materialistic values did not play an important role in predicting willingness to consume circular clothing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the VBN theory predicts willingness to consume circular apparel better in the Netherlands compared to Brazil, suggesting that this behaviour may be perceived as more effortful for the Brazilian population. However, we highlight the need for future research.

Human resource development 4.0 (HRD 4.0) in the apparel industry of Bangladesh: a theoretical framework and future research directions

PurposeThe transition from Industry 3.0 to the fourth industrial revolution was a big jump that created a vacuum in many developing countries. Drawing upon institutional theory and resource-based view theory, the current study proposes a theoretical model linking the institutional pressures and resources (workforce skills) in context to the apparel industry of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative approach involving 20 semi-structured interviews, followed by thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software. The researchers impose both deductive and inductive thematic analysis to generate themes. The data analysis involves various stages applying the phenomenological approaches.FindingsInstitutional pressures (coercive) positively influences the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in the fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; institutional pressures (normative) is positively related to the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in 4IR in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; institutional pressures (mimetic) has shown a positive association with the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in 4IR in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; workforce skills (technical and managerial) are positively influencing the development of human resource capabilities in fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind to offer a thematic analysis on human resource development 4.0 in the apparel industry of Bangladesh. The study provides an understanding of the role of institutional pressure on workforce skill development and the adoption of 4IR technology.

Artificial intelligence technologies for more flexible recommendation in uniforms

PurposeThis research aims to collect human body variables via 2D images captured by digital cameras. Based on those human variables, the forecast and recommendation of the Digital Camouflage Uniforms (DCU) for Taiwan's military personnel are made.Design/methodology/approachA total of 375 subjects are recruited (male: 253; female: 122). In this study, OpenPose converts the photographed 2D images into four body variables, which are compared with those of a tape measure and 3D scanning simultaneously. Then, the recommendation model of the DCU is built by the decision tree. Meanwhile, the Euclidean distance of each size of the DCU in the manufacturing specification is calculated as the best three recommendations.FindingsThe recommended size established by the decision tree is only 0.62 and 0.63. However, for the recommendation result of the best three options, the DCU Fitting Score can be as high as 0.8 or more. The results of OpenPose and 3D scanning have the highest correlation coefficient even though the method of measuring body size is different. This result confirms that OpenPose has significant measurement validity. That is, inexpensive equipment can be used to obtain reasonable results.Originality/valueIn general, the method proposed in this study is suitable for applications in e-commerce and the apparel industry in a long-distance, non-contact and non-pre-labeled manner when the world is facing Covid-19. In particular, it can reduce the measurement troubles of ordinary users when purchasing clothing online.

Influence of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee Retention With Special Reference to the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

Employee retention is emerging as a critical issues impact on the competitive advantage. Internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been creating so much attention in the minds of employees during the recent years. Thus, the chapter is based on three objectives: First, it explores the relationship between internal CSR and employee retention. Second, it identifies how intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between internal CSR and employee retention. Finally, it determines the internal CSR activities which the apparel industry should pay more attention to in order to better employee retention. Primary data were collected by using questionnaires, and the results of the study indicated that there is a positive relationship between internal CSR and employee retention. Moreover, intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between the internal CSR and employee retention. The findings of the study identify the internal CSR activities which the apparel industry should pay more attention to in order to develop retention programs in the future.

A TISM and MICMAC analysis of factors during COVID-19 pandemic in Indian Apparel Supply Chain

The objective of this study is to explore the challenges faced by the Indian apparel supply chain in the wake of COVID-19 to identify the factors that are being affected and build a multilevel hierarchy model to prioritize the factors and understand their inter-relationships. An intensive literature review was conducted and many experts from apparel supply chain were consulted. The study was conducted by the help of a survey sent to these experts from different echelons in the apparel industry. The data was then analysed using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM). The “Difficulty in export order fulfilment” factor is found to be the most sensitive factor which means that it is present in the TISM model hierarchy in a place that it is affected by most of the factors and in-turn impacts factors like operational cost, change in marketing strategy, change in consumer buying pattern, which impact Profitability and Cut-off in employment. “Cut-off in employment” is found to be most impacted by all other factors in TISM model.