International manufacturing strategies: experiences from the clothing industry

Abstract

In traditional sectors, due to the strong incidence of labour costs, the progressive delocalization of manufacturing activities in low-wage countries has been typically considered unavoidable. However, this process appears to be very different at national, industrial, and also corporate level. Empirical studies are needed to investigate the existing linkages among industry general conditions, each firm's global operations strategy and specific operative choices for implementing it. Presents empirical research on the patterns and the factors characterizing the international relocation of manufacturing followed by Italian clothing firms

Why and how do firms reshore? A contingency-based conceptual framework

“…The textiles (and clothing) industry is highly competitive and characterised by its global supply chains, short product lifecycles, and typical high labour intensity (Teng and Jaramillo 2006;Dana et al 2007). It has previously experienced extensive offshoring to lower wage economies (Bolisani and Scarso 1996;Bruce et al 2004) and may therefore have significant reshoring potential, despite its labour intensity (Martínez-Mora and Merino 2014;Ashby 2016;Robinson and Hsieh 2016). Such single industry research has been encouraged by Stentoft et al (2016a).…”

International Outsourcing: a process approach to the apparel industry

“…Bolisani & Scarso, 1996;Gibbon, 2001;Graziani, 1998;Kam, Chen, & Wilding, 2011;Kumar & Arbi, 2008;Qudrat-Ullah, 2010;Strange, 2006;Tam, Moon, Ng, & Hui, 2006;Teng & Jaramillo, 2005;Yu & Lindsay, 2011) aims to address these questions: why, the motives for outsourcing; where, in which geographical region and/or market; and how, which outsourcing strategies to undertake. Another question mentioned less often but that can be made is what to outsource and refers to which activities should be kept in-house and which should be outsourced.…”

“…Table 2 presents a summary of the reviewed papers on outsourcing in the apparel industry. According to Bolisani and Scarso (1996), international outsourcing can be undertaken with four motives: natural resources seekers, market seekers (also mentioned by QudratUllah, 2010), efficiency seekers, and strategic asset seekers. Other motives for outsourcing are: cost reduction (Strange, 2006), which includes labor costs (Qudrat-Ullah, 2010), flexibility and availability of capacities and production expertise (Gibbon, 2001).…”

“…Åkesson, Jonsson, & Edanius-Hällås, 2007;Gibbon, 2001;Mitchell, 2015;Raman, & Ahmad, 2013;Schniederjans & Zuckweiler, 2004). E m p i r i c a l r e s e a r c h i s p r i m a r i l y concentrated on the USA (e.g., Elmuti & Kathawala, 2000;Kremic, Tukel, & Rom, 2006;Schniederjans & Zuckweiler, 2004;Su, Dyer, & Gargeya, 2009), on some European countries (e.g., Åkesson et al, 2007;Belso-Martinez, 2008;Bolisani & Scarso, 1996;Efstathiades, Rousis, Boustras, & Bratskas, 2009;Gianelle & Tattara, 2007;Graziani, 1998;Mol, Tulder, & Beije, 2005;Nassimbeni, 2006), and on other developed countries (e.g., Abramovsky, Griffith, & Sako, 2004;Beaumont & Sohal, 2004;Johanson & Vahlne, 1977;Kyöstilä & Cardwell, 2005;MoosaviRad, Kara, & Ibbotson, 2014;Mitchell, 2015;Raman, & Ahmad, 2013). Nevertheless, there are some studies in developing countries (e.g., Barbosa, & Minciotti, 2007;Oliveira, Boehe, & Borini, 2009) as well as with a global focus (Hoecht & Trott, 2006;Schaaf, 2004).…”

Logistics and Transportation in Global Supply Chains: Review, Critique, and Prospects

“…Bolisani and Scarso [8] (1996) carry out a survey of Italian clothing firms to determine what factors influence the internationalization of these organizations. The authors find that most companies are driven to reduce costs by locating their facilities closer to customer and supplier markets, and by seeking lower-wage but highly skilled labor.…”