Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Clothing manufacture'

There is considerable pressure on the U.K. clothing industry to remain competitive in the face of foreign competition. Market forces and the trend of decreasing contract sizes have produced perceived problems with current methods of production which, coupled with the inertia to radical change, justify research. Computer simulation is an established production management tool but its potential in clothing manufacture could not be inferred. Concentrating on progressive bundle systems as the dominant method of production, this research considers the capacity of simulation in this context. Factory-based studies identified factors affecting system performance which allowed a conceptual model with high face validity to be defined. The requirement to handle complex supervisory control strategies led to the identification of visual interactive simulation as an experimental route. A computerised model, with an appropriate user interface and reporting facilities, was developed in the ~Siman si@ulat~£~~Dguage __ This was supported by animated graphics which played a substantial role in the attainment of face validity. Replication was considered to be essential for sound estimates of system performance to be obtained from this stochastic model but, as interactive control works against replication, steps were taken to reduce compromise. Software development facilitated an experimental technique that employed interaction to develop a control strategy, which then became embedded in the model for replication. By providing control consistency between replications, a more reliable assessment of system sensitivity to stochastic variability was possible. Pilot runs and single factor analysis enabled the effect of controllable factors on system performance to be quantified. Supervisory control was found to have a major effect on system performance so that the need for consistency in interaction was amplified. Considering alternative experimental methods and the practical use of the model, application areas for simulation in the absence of real time data capture were identified and demonstrated. Each application offered significant advantage over currently available planning methods and the use of simulation was supported. Information from the model can be gained about the design and control of progressive bundle lines at the pre-production phase, and the output of performance indicators can be useful in assessing real production lines. The evidence presented by this research illustrates that animated simulation can provide insight that is otherwise unobtainable.

British fashion is poised amidst a clutch of conflicting narratives, representations and ideologies. Through an examination of these rival encounters and the events that have gone to generate them, this thesis gives an insight into the culture of contemporary fashion, its dilemmas and the industry it supports. In particular, my discussion looks at the relationship between fashion and national identity. It posits fashion as a site central both to the re-branding of Britain and also to contestations over British identity itself, including the gendering of Britishness and its class relations. Using the cases of two iconic British fashion companies, Paul Smith Ltd and Mulberry Plc, I explore how the apparently straightforward and economically driven process of the globalisation of British fashion is, in fact, a far more culturally nuanced and locally embedded encounter than has previously been suggested. I unpack the different ways in which Paul Smith and Mulberry go about negotiating and sometimes even shaping and mobilising a sense of nationness in what is a rapidly globalising commercial marketplace. For in spite of their shared iconic national status both companies go about generating and deploying their self-confessed British character in exceedingly different ways. It is through an exploration of Paul Smith and Mulberry's contrasting corporate strategies, symbolic production techniques and product profiles that I investigate the different meanings afforded by the term Britishness. Indeed the thesis contends that, in the arena of fashion, Britishness is characterised less through some distinct essence or by a particular 'look' and more through its 'narratives of ambiguity'. In turn, it suggests that an understanding of these narratives goes some way in problematising and disrupting commonly imagined notions of Britishness borne out of Anglo-centric, androcentric and bourgeois tradition and, still further, it looks at how such notions might be re-worked in more multiple and complex ways.

The research explores the rationale and the implications of an imposed curriculum innovation, the introduction of computer aided design, (CAD), into fashion design courses. The work is a singular, personal exploration of the phenomenon CAD; it is seeking explanations and does not attempt to offer generalisations or theories. The study examines theories and ideas of creativity, and the process of design in the production of fashion garments. Philosophical, psychological and physiological ideas and attitudes that cluster around the concept 'design' are examined. The transient nature of knowledge assumes increasing importance as the study progresses. The field work covered three major areas. First, a survey of CAD systems and their use in the British clothing industry was undertaken in 1985. This provided a 'snapshot' of aims and attitudes towards CAD at that time. Contacts with the same companies in 1989 showed that some perceptions of CAD had changed. Second, studies were made of the use of CAD in the design process. The research was directed towards the activities of individual students when using CAD, with reference to their process of design, their thinking style, and their personality. Third, the possibilities of CAD were explored in a commercial design context. Theoretical and personal explorations and experiences of the use of CAD were undertaken and recorded. Design projects and artefacts were realised. In order to extend knowledge of computer aided design, a CAD system with a differing set of priorities from established commercial systems was developed. This was done in co-operation with a commercial software house, Concept II Research; the software programme ORMUS-FASHION was created. The system was used in the field studies with students, and for personal design work. The research offers new insights into the accessibility of CAD to the fashion/textile designer, regardless of his or her technological knowledge. It demonstrates that CAD is not neccessarily a preserve of the logical mind. The effective use of CAD in the Fashion Industry is related to a wider set of human characteristics, motives and changing processes of. creative thought; and these are, of course, very often illogical. It is a case study which shows knowledge being selectively changed, intentionally changed, individually changed, collectively changed, experientially changed, unconsciously changed, inexplicably changed, continually changed. There is no access to things as they are.

Atualmente, a preocupação com o meio ambiente está relacionada à qualidade de vida desta e de futuras gerações, o que torna a busca pelo desenvolvimento sustentável uma responsabilidade coletiva. A competição no mercado e a crescente mudança de perfil dos consumidores, impulsionam as empresas a buscarem soluções capazes de atenuar os impactos ambientais negativos e otimizar os processos produtivos, resultando em fomento da responsabilidade socioambiental, produtos com maior valor agregado e incremento da competitividade. O crescimento da população mundial e o consumo exacerbado aumentaram significativamente a demanda por recursos naturais. A quantidade de resíduos sólidos gerados pelas atividades industriais também cresceu em importância mundial e ambiental, pois estes são produzidos por vários tipos de processos, gerando milhões de toneladas por dia em todo o mundo. A disposição adequada desses resíduos é indispensável para a preservação ambiental. A redução da geração de resíduos, a reciclagem e reutilização de resíduos, e o destarte adequado são fundamentais para a preservação ambiental e diminuição do consumo de recursos naturais não renováveis do planeta. A presente pesquisa tem o propósito de promover a compreensão sobre o gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos industriais e apresentar um estudo de caso abordando a reciclagem de resíduos sólidos oriundos do setor de manufatura do vestuário, especificamente os retalhos gerados no setor de corte, como alternativa para a redução dos impactos ambientais negativos em consonância com as políticas públicas e o desenvolvimento sustentável. Para atingir esse propósito, mas sem esgotar o tema, que é complexo e abrangente, foram delimitados os seguintes objetivos específicos: (1) Classificar os resíduos sólidos na manufatura do vestuário; (2) Pesquisar algumas empresas que compõe o ciclo do desfibrado têxtil; (3) Pesquisar a aceitação do tecido reciclado pelo consumidor de moda; (4) Pesquisar a utilização do desfibrado na produção de peças acústicas para o setor automobilístico; (5) Identificar os desafios e limitações encontrados na utilização do desfibrado têxtil; No Brasil, a forma mais comum de reciclagem de resíduos têxteis é a desfibragem mecânica, cujos produtos finais são denominados fibras desfibradas que serão destinadas à produção de tecidos reciclados para vestuário de moda e decoração, não-tecidos, mantas acústicas para o setor automobilístico, e estopas, panos (para uso industrial, de limpeza de maquinário e materiais). A metodologia de pesquisa empregada está fundamentada em uma abordagem qualitativa de natureza teórico-empírica, que utiliza como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental e realização de entrevistas com os atores-chave do setor de reciclagem têxtil. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, verifica-se, que através do processo de reciclagem os resíduos sólidos industriais originários da indústria têxtil são uma oportunidade lucrativa de mercado viabilizada pela logística reversa. A pratica da reciclagem agrega valor aos resíduos sólidos, prolonga a vida de bens ambientais esgotáveis e a vida útil de aterros, além de gerar empregos propicia a economia de energia e diminuição da poluição dos compartimentos ambientais
Nowadays, the concern with the environment is related to the quality of life for this, and the coming generations, which makes the pursuit for sustainable development a collective responsibility. The competition in the market and the change of the consumers profile, force the companies to search for solutions that are able to diminish the negative environmental impacts, and optimize the productive processes, fomenting the socio-environmental responsibility, products that aggregate more value and the increase of competition. The increase of the world`s population, and the exaggerated consumption elevated the demand for natural resources. The amount of solid waste generated by the industries activities also have reached an elevated degree of importance, environmental and worldwide, as these are produced on a large scale every day. The adequate disposal of such waste is necessary for the preservation of our environment. The reduction of the waste generation, recycling, and reutilization of these waste and the correct discard, are the basis for the preservation, conservation and saving of consumption of non-renewable natural resources. This paper intends to promote the comprehension of the textile industry\'s solid waste management and to present a study for the recycling of solid waste generated from the clothing manufacture, more specifically in the snippet sector, as an alternative to reduce the negative impact against the environment, according to the public policies and its sustainable development. In order to achieve this goal, but not exhausting the subject, as i tis complex and comprehensive, the following milestones were defined: (1) Classify the solid waste in the clothing manufacture; (2) Research some companies that compose the textile shredded cycle; (3) Research the acceptance of the recycled cloth for the fashion consumer; (4) Research the utilization of the shredded in the production of acoustic parts to the automotive sector; (5) Identify the challenges and limitations found in the utilization of the shredded cloth; In Brazil, the most common way of textile waste recycling is to use mechanical process to shred the cloth, process on which the final product is called shredded fiber, that are destined to the production of recycled cloth for fashion clothing and decoration, non-woven, acoustic parts to the automotive sector, oakum, fabric (for industrial usage, for material and machinery cleaning). The research methodology applied, is based on a qualitative, theoretical and empirical approach, that uses the case study as a mean. The data collection was based on bibliographic research, documentary research, and interviews with the key players of the textile recycling sector. According to the results achieved, it is possible to verify that through the recycling process, the solid waste generated from textile industry, are a profitable opportunity, made possible by the reversal logistics. The recycling activity adds value to the solid waste, enhances the lifecycle of the non-renewable environmental assets and the landfills\' lifecycle. It also generates job positions and saves energy, minimizing the pollution of the environmental compartments

Existing theories and literature seeking to explain small business reticence to engage in enterprise bargaining, at times adopt a generalised approach which precludes or at least limits their relevance and ability to explain small business choice at the industry and even organisational level. Such explanations cannot be detached from the external contextual framework in which an organisation operates and its own, often unique, strategic corporate response to the environmental influences which are challenging it. Labour flexibility vehicles including bargaining, if chosen to facilitate broader corporate strategies, can thereby, be regarded as functionally dependent upon and interactive with the corporate orientations and objectives of the organisation which in turn are environmentally influenced and shaped. The research principally provides a focused description and analysis of the experiences of Clothingco, a small, up market, vertically integrated clothing manufacturer and retailer, which has undergone various strategic readjustments at the corporate and industrial relations level throughout the 1990s, in response to externally driven pressures. The research presents firm evidence to suggest that Clothingco has selected its labour flexibility mechanisms so that they are consistent with and able to accomodate prevailing corporate strategies and orientations. Its strategic corporate readjustments throughout the 90s, which can be perceived as falling along the continuum of cost minimisation to productivity enhancement, have in particular registered differing choices with respect to labour flexibility vehicle and strategies. In the light of the findings, the research as a preferred labour flexibility vehicle at Clothingco. These are identified as: an increasing corporate focus towards cost minimisation throughout the 1990s, coupled with an inability by management to countenance union intervention in enterprise bargaining procedures. The interaction of both these factors, rendered enterprise bargaining from the point of view of management, both a strategically and industrially inferior labour flexibility vehicle to the use of contract labour. The research's strength lies in these areas which have been highlighted and which can be monitored and tested more comprehensively in future research.
Master of Commerce (Hons)

This thesis discusses and assesses the resources available to Asian entrepreneurs in the West Midlands' clothing industry and how they are used by these small businessmen in order to address opportunities in the market economy within the constraints imposed. The fashion industry is volatile and is dependent upon flexible firms which can respond quickly to shortrun production schedules. Small firms are best able to respond to this market environment. Production of jeans presents an interesting departure from the mainstream fashion industry. It is traditionally gared towards longrun production schedules where multinational enterprises have artificially diversified the market, promoting the 'right' brand name and have established control of the upper end of the market, whilst imports from Newly Developing Countries have catered for cheap copies at the lower end of the market. In recent years, a fashion element to jeans has emerged, thus opening a market gap for U.K. manufacturers to respond in the same way as for other fashion articles. A large immigrant population, previously serving the now declining factories and foundries of the West Midlands but, through redundancy, no longer a part of this employment sector, has ~5ponded to economic constraints and market opportunities by drawing on ethnic network resources for competitive access to labour, finance and contacts, to attack the emergent market gap. Two models of these Asian entrepreneurs are developed. One being somecne who has professionally and actively tackled the market gap and become established. These entrepreneurs are usually educated and have personal experience in business and were amongst the first to perceive opportunities to enter the industry, actively utilising their ethnicity as a resource upon which to draw for favorable access to cheap, flexible labour and capital. The second model is composed of later entrants to jeans manufacturing. They have less formal education and experience and have been pushed into self-employment by constraints of unemployment. Their ethnicity is passively used as a resource. They are more likely confined to the marginal activity of 'cut make and trim' and have little opportunity to increase profit margins, become estalished or expand.

South Africa, as many of the countries on the African continent, has for a long time been discriminated against when it comes to export of clothing and textiles. The trade regulations are now getting more favorable and the US and European markets are becoming more open for exports from the African continent.

We came in contact with the House of Monatic, which is a manufacturer of high quality men’s wear clothing in South Africa, and found that they were interested in us doing an export analysis of the company. The House of Monatic is an old colonial company founded in 1906 with over 1000 employees. The head office is situated in Cape Town, South Africa. Monatic manufactures licensed brands such as Yves Saint-Laurent as well as their own brands. At present the company is exporting to countries on the African continent, United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States. The thesis was mostly carried out at the House of Monatic in Cape Town where we stayed for three months. The method was to interview all the managers at the company to find out how the export management is run today and through theories find alternative exports strategies and how to improve the company’s current strategies. We also made a customer survey, which we sent out to Monatic’s customers to see

The end of apartheid in 1994 opened the borders not only for further exports but also for imports from overseas countries. This made Monatic’s domestic market share shrink and expanding through exports to new international markets became inevitable. Because the trade regulations are becoming more favorable we believe the international market is where profits can be found, especially on the US market. A risk when exporting is that profitability can be dependent on the exchange rates between currencies. As a solution to this problem Monatic could convince its international customers to do business in the South African currency, Rand. Monatic is currently establishing contacts in the US where they are setting up a new sales office. Monatic is going to introduce one of their own brands by letting a customer called Nordstrom sell it.

We think this is wise to sneak into the market and to not undertake large marketing campaigns, which could prove to be too costly. We believe it is risky for Monatic to enter several markets at the same time and that Monatic should concentrate on positioning itself on the US market at the moment. But we think it is smart to establish new contacts on other markets so that Monatic is ready when the opportunities come. We believe the Sub Saharan market has some potential that is worth further investigation. The UK market seems to have stagnated at the moment and we think it will become more profitable when the economy in Europe has recuperated. In the meantime it is best not to make to much investments but to harvest the profits that can be gained. There seem to be confusion about weather Monatic should focus on being a designer house or a manufacturer. It is difficult to combine the big bulk customers with boutique customers in the same production line.

Many of the customers wants improved design according to a customer survey we conducted. We also believe that the customers need to be organized in a classification system depending on volume and profitability. This would help Monatic to decide on how to distribute its limited resources. IT is becoming more and more frequently used among Monatic’s business partners. To not risking being pushed out of the market it is important to be ahead of competitors. By introducing an online order system and a product tracking system at the home page Monatic would decrease the workload of the sales staff. Furthermore it would make it easier for customers and Monatic would gain more competitive advantage by this facility. We also believe that by establishing their own shops in South Africa, Monatic’s brand would be strengthened and become more competitive on the domestic market. A Monatic shop would give an entire atmosphere and service to the customer that would

Uppsatsen redogör för tre svenska klädföretags miljöredovisningar och hur dessa uppfyller de kvalitativa egenskaperna: begriplighet, relevans, tillförlitlighet och jämförbarhet. Dessa kvalitativa egenskaper ska enligt det internationella redovisningsorganet IASBs föreställningsram vara uppfyllda i de finansiella rapporterna som företagen lämnar. De tre klädföretag som vi har valt att undersöka har offentliggjort frivilliga miljöredovisningar. I dagsläget finns det inga lagkrav på hur frivilliga miljöredovisningar ska presenteras, däremot finns det olika rekommendationer. Vi menar att IASBs fyra kvalitativa egenskaper kan appliceras på frivilliga miljöredovisningar i syfte att säkerställa ett visst mått av kvalitet. I vår uppsats har vi därför med utgångspunkt ifrån såväl IASB, FAR/SRS och FEE definierat vilka kriterier som rimligen bör ingå i dessa egenskaper. Egenskaperna har även anpassats till att kunna tillämpas på den svenska klädbranschen.

Studien utfördes genom att vi först undersökte företagens miljöredovisningar varpå dessa analyserades utifrån det vi avser med de kvalitativa egenskaperna: begriplighet, relevans, tillförlitlighet och jämförbarhet. Vidare har vi genomfört intervjuer med de respektive företagens miljöansvarige för att slutligen göra en avstämning mellan miljöredovisningarna, vår analys och det företagen själva har uttalat sig om.

I undersökningen har vi kommit fram till att ingen av företagens miljöredovisningar kan anses ha god kvalitet då samtliga uppvisar brister i någon av de kvalitativa egenskaperna som vi har utgått ifrån. Begripligheten i de tre miljöredovisningarna kan sägas vara god medan det förekommer bristfälligheter i fråga om relevans, tillförlitlighet och jämförbarhet.

This dissertation examines three Swedish clothing manufacturer’s  environmental accountancy statements and how these satisfy the qualitative properties: intelligibility, relevance, reliability and comparability. These qualitative properties should, according to the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) framework, be satisfied in the companies’ published financial reports. The three clothing companies we chose to investigate have made public their voluntary environmental accountancy statements. There is currently no law stating how voluntary environmental accountancy statements are to be presented, though there are some recommendations. We consider that IASB’s four qualitative properties can be applied to voluntary environmental accountancy in order to guarantee a certain level of quality. We have therefore in this dissertation defined which criteria should be included in these properties on the basis of IASB, FAR/SRS and FEE. These properties have been modified to enable application within the Swedish clothing industry.

The study commenced with an investigation of the companies’ environmental accountancy statements. These were then analysed on the basis of what we consider to be the qualitative properties intelligibility, relevance, reliability and comparability. We furthermore conducted interviews with the environmental officer of each company; and finally compared the different environmental accountancy statements, our analyses and information obtained directly from each company.

In our study we concluded that none of the companies had environmental accountancy statements of good quality, as all had shortfalls in the qualitative properties which our study was based upon. Intelligibility in the three environmental accountancy statements can be described as good; however there were insufficiencies in the case of relevance, reliability and comparability.

碩士
國立成功大學
企業管理學系碩博士班
101
In Globalization era, multinational companies had established headquarter and branches in worldwide. Companies make outsourcing decisions by the law of comparative advantage. We can see the binational products or multinational products in the market. The products’ country-of-design, country-of-manufacture and country-of-establish may come from different countries. This situation inspire me some questions: What are the differences between country-of-origin and country-of-manufacture? How do these differences affect perceived qualities in the mind of consumers? Do perceived qualities will influence the consumers’ purchase intention? This thesis research would take five clothing brands: NIKE, NET, adidas, GIORDANO and MUJI as instances to do further research. The research conclusions are as follow: 1.Consumers emphasize the importance of country-of-manufacture. 2.Consumers give higher grades to the clothing brand which garments are made in Japan and Taiwan. 3.The consumers who drink Starbucks coffee would rather to buy the MUJI garments, which are made in Japan. 4.The consumers who do not drink Starbucks coffee because of price would have better image to MUJI garments, which are made in Japan. 5.Males have high recognition of technology R＆D level of Taiwan. 6.Females give positive brand image to GIORDANO garments, which are made in Taiwan. 7.The consumers who do not drink Starbucks coffee because of price would give higher grades of perceived quality to GIORDANO garments, which are made in Taiwan.

碩士
高雄醫學大學
性別研究所
97
The main purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of women manufacturing clothing at home while also doing domestic work. As the pay for manufacturing clothing at home is not much, the work and its value are often regarded as insignificant. Domestic work is viewed as the main task of women working at home, so the value of their work is easily underestimated. How to look at the monetary value of the clothing manufacturing work done on sewing machines at home is one of the focuses of this paper. Secondly, this paper aims to discuss (1) the way women coordinate clothing manufacturing work with domestic work, and (2) how they identify their work at home, which impacts on their work experience. This paper adopted Glucksmann’s TSOL (Total Social Organization of Labor) Theory, putting an emphasis on the relationships between different types of work that are affected by the social structure, time, and space. Using a qualitative research interview method, 10 women doing clothing manufacturing work at home were interviewed. The findings are as follows: Aside from the “additional income for the family” provided by a female manufacturing clothing at home, it is difficult to evaluate the worth of the woman because it is hard to put a price on her intangible contribution in the various domestic tasks she accomplishes. Nonetheless these should be considered. The experience of women working at home is colored by their sexual roles. Their reproductive roles as wife and mother make it necessary for them to allocate their time and organize their jobs accordingly. As these women choose to work at home in order to be able to take care of the family simultaneously, their time for clothing manufacturing and their time for domestic chores must be apportioned in such a way as to fulfill the needs of both their boss and their family members. Working at home not only creates time-related pressure on them but also makes it more difficult for them to have any time to pursue their own personal interests. In order to both take care of domestic chores while manufacturing clothing at home, these women have to consult with their family members and get them to agree to share the domestic work. How the female identifies with her work at home will determine how the domestic chores will be coordinated. Those who see themselves as mainly housewives tend to take on almost all of the domestic work themselves. Some women require the children to share the burden of domestic work, but this may cause conflict between them and create additional emotional stress for the women when the family members disagree. Those who view themselves as professional workers in clothing manufacturing spend less hours in domestic work and the standards they set for these are relatively lower compared to the abovementioned types of women. However, the conflict they face is in their not being able to be good mothers. Based on the above mentioned, this study discovered that the experience of woman working at home manufacturing clothing can not be analyzed specifically using the rigid binary framework of public vs. private domain and between work with pay and work with no salary. Variables, such as changes in industrial structure, children''s age, marital status, etc., all contribute to the various and complicated facets of the experience of their work.

碩士
輔仁大學
織品服裝學系
97
Oversea manufacture is a critical factor for Taiwan clothing manufacture to resolve pressures of competition and maintain competitive advantage. No matter what backgrounds the enterprises are from, all desire to seek for the best investment location to enhance their competitive advantage. The most urgent matter for the clothing manufacture is to consolidate resources and to overcome challenges arising from the organizations in the rapid changes of time. By doing so, the enterprises can construct a competitive foresight and achieve the goal of globalization. This research focuses on four backgrounds of middle size clothing manufacturing companies. The research is based on case studying of trade and experiences of outsourcing, adopting comparisons of various cases through observation, interview, and questionnaire survey. The research explores how oversea clothing manufacturing organizations deal with challenges in a complex environment, surrounded by different cultures, and how the enterprises establish values and efficient organizations by dealing with challenges. The case study and strategy analysis are supported by the discussions of missions of organizations, decision-making power, local culture and society, turn-over rate, and marketing strategies. Through the comparisons of multi-cases in various backgrounds of Taiwan clothing merchants, the research finds that the types of challenges that the enterprises face and the degree of the impact that the enterprises receive are no different. The critical factor to overcome challenges is consensus, including between high level management and dispatching mangers, between the head office and the local organizations, between dispatching managers and local employees. The consensus deeply impacts the management of organizations. There is a positive affection between consensus and management. The research further finds that in respect of missions of organizations and decision-making power, the priority for the organization is to complete missions. The authorization cannot focus on the dispatching managers; the enterprises must also authorize local secondary management. In terms of accommodation of local culture and social society, the enterprises must respect the local culture and their systems. To avoid industrial actions, high turn-over rate, and outsourcing faults, it relies on transparent operations. To maintain relationship with the local government so to execute marketing strategies soundly, the enterprises must comply with local regulations. Overall, more specific authorization and fair distributions of profits are, more growing organization could be. The research and the conclusions offer a reference for Taiwan enterprise when they face challenges in the developing oversea manufacturing organizations. The research also intends to provide a new direction and a guild for the study of organization challenges of oversea clothing manufacture.

The clothing industry is multifaceted and is characterised by garments with a short life cycle, unstable customer needs and varying fashion styles. This affects the accuracy of demand planning. In SA, the clothing industry has experienced a decline in the number of clothing manufacturers and manufacturing outputs as well as fluctuations in employment. This study investigates demand planning practices in the Gauteng clothing industry. A descriptive and exploratory study was conducted based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The structured data was descriptively analysed using SPSS and inferentially analysed using the Kruskal‒Wallis test as well as content analysis for the unstructured questions. The findings revealed that demand planning practices in the Gauteng clothing industry are conducted using the hierarchical and optimal demand planning approaches. The results also revealed that there are certain factors which affect the way demand planning is conducted in the clothing industry in Gauteng. These factors includes: scheduling, fashion clothes, point of sale system, imports, estimation, recession and lead time. Furthermore, the study revealed that there are differences in the factors affecting demand planning regarding the three key clothing stakeholders (fabric suppliers, clothing manufacturers and fashion designers). The study revealed that key demand planning practices employed in the Gauteng clothing industry are production planning, uncertainty prevention, forecasting and production machine capabilities. These practices are important attributes of the hierarchical and optimal demand planning approaches. The study recommends that the hierarchical demand planning approach is more effective when planning for basic clothes (which involved planning horizon of twelve months), while the optimal demand planning approach is effective when planning for fashion clothes (which involved planning horizon of six months). The study recommends that the Gauteng clothing industry should consider factors which affect demand planning when planning for customers' needs as they affect the level of productivity in the organisation.
Entrepreneurship Supply Chain Transport Tourism and Logistics Management
M. Com.(Logistics)

This work focuses mainly on describing Mongolian traditional costume. The structure and style of Mongolian deel are presented. The work discusses Mongolian traditional costume in different historical periods which were essential for its development, and describes the traditional costumes of several Mongolic ethnic groups, including their footwear, headdress, jewels, and other accessories, and some specific ritual costumes. It also features the production of traditional clothing materials in Mongolia, particularly, leather tanning and felt manufacturing. Lastly, a glossary, images of some studied exhibits from Náprstkovo Museum, and paper-cut model of traditional deel are included in the appendix.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master in Technology: Marketing, Technikon Natal, 2000.
This research has aimed to explore the impact of clustering on the ability of small manufacturers in the clothing industry in Port Elizabeth to enhance their competitiveness. The research study was conducted in two stages, which included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Firstly, an exploratory qualitative study using the Delphi method was employed to identify the key problems currently being experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry. Finally, the application of a structured questionnaire to small manufacturers in the clothing industry followed, exploring the awareness of and interest in clustering as a strategy for enhancing competitiveness. A key observation to emerge from the qualitative research is that significant differences were evident between the responses of academics, professionals in small business development and small business owners. An analysis of the problems experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry revealed that high labour costs and low I productivity were the frontrunners. The lack of knowledge was cited as the most important problem preventing the wide scale implementation of horizontal clustering. Another key observance to emerge from the quantitative study is the fact that very few significant differences are evident between the two groups viz. small business owners and experts. The research indicated that although in the minority, horizontal linkages exist between small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth. The results indicated furthermore that the majority of small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth are
M

博士
國立中山大學
企業管理學系研究所
96
Postponement, which is a stategy in the area of supply chain management, has a long history of practical applications as well as academic literature. However, most existing studies are conceptual and the main method of empiprical study is case study, which leads to the empirical findings are not able to be generalized to other companies or industries. In addition, past empirical researches are almost entirely conducted in the Western countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the motivations, current situations, facilitators and and results of postponement in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). This study conducted two interviews and a questionnaire survey by e-mail across three industries. The result indicated that postponement application in Greater China was growing and the degree of postponement application was higher than the previous evidences in the West regions. Rather, environmental uncertainty, administrative factors, and IS maturity had positive effects on postponement application. In addition, industry characteristics would also affect the types of postponement strategy used. As to the results of applying postponement, postponement indeed raises company performances, but it is not necessary to facilitate companies outsource operations activities.

JEL Classification: M10 – General Business Administration
The Portuguese Textile & Clothing (T&C) industry has been increasingly affected by the globalization and the economic situation of the country. It is a dynamic sector, subjected to the instability of the raw materials’ demands, fashion trends, consumer habits, lifestyles, which are in constant mutation. The high competition from the emergent markets, as well as the high bargaining power of retailers, has increased the challenge, turning the traditional strategies outdated. Having this scenario, we consider urgent to change the paradigm, by establishing different strategies, in order to assure the sustainability of the companies operating in this industry. This applied project shows the particular reality of Cloqué, a clothing manufacturer, and pretends to provide a pro-active and integrative proposal in order to increase profit margin in the short run, while assuring sustainability in the long run. Initially, we performed an analysis to the company’s internal functioning, regarding its strengths and weaknesses. To this end, a documentary analysis was performed alongside interviews and surveys to the company’s employees. Complementarily, for a better understanding of the context, the thesis also exposes an industry and environmental analysis, concerning threats, opportunities and critical success factors of the T&C industry. The result of the scrutiny is compiled in a set of recommended strategic proposals and an identified specific target. This thesis may also serve as a reference structure to other companies in a similar context, although under different framework and valences.
A indústria têxtil e do vestuário portuguesa (ITVP) tem vindo a ser gradualmente afetada pela globalização e pela situação económica do país. Este é um sector dinâmico, sujeito à instabilidade da procura de matérias-primas, tendências de moda, hábitos de consumo, estilos de vida, que estão em constante mudança. A crescence concorrência dos países emergentes, assim como o crescente poder de negociação dos retalhistas, tem aumentado o desafio, tornando as estratégias tradicionais obsoletas. Com base neste cenário, considera-se urgente alterar o paradigma, através da implementação de diferentes estratégias que visem a sustentabilidade das empresas a operar nesta indústria. Este projeto aplicado retrata a realidade da Cloqué, uma empresa fabricante de vestuário, e pretende propôr uma proposta proativa e integradora, que garanta o aumento das margens de lucro no curto-prazo, enquanto assegura a sustentabilidade no longo-prazo. Numa primeira fase, foi feita uma análise ao funcionamento interno da empresa, no que respeita as suas forças e fraquezas. Para o efeito, fez-se uma análise documental e realizaram-se entrevistas e questionários aos colaboradores da empresa. Complementarmente, para uma melhor compreensão do enquadramento, é realizada uma análise à indústria e ao contexto, realçando as ameaças, oportunidades e fatores críticos de sucesso da ITVP. O resultado do escrutínio é compilado num conjunto de propostas estratégicas e na identificação de um target específico. Este projeto poderá servir como uma estrutura de referência para outras empresas em contextos semelhantes, ainda que sob diferentes enquadramentos e valências.

碩士
南台科技大學
行銷與流通管理系
94
The Enterprises would like to not only fit the present consuming ways of less quantity, diverse products, and one-stop shopping but also change the modes of production from constant methods to separate all productive steps. The final goal for companies is improving service standards and reducing the operating cost. This study wants to use postponement strategies to set up a cost model from manufacturers to distribution centers and exploits the model to compare the difference between using and disusing postponement strategies. This study takes advantage of related data to prove the accuracy and possibility of this model. This study explores that if using postponement strategies could reduce the operating cost in cost view. The constructing model has two parts: (1) the manufacturers’ total cost: orders processing cost, materials’ purchasing cost, materials’ holding cost, manufacturing cost, finished goods’ holding cost, transportation cost. (2) the distribution centers’ total cost: orders processing cost, inventories’ holding cost, distributing cost. Finally, this study uses a clothing manufacturer and a clothing distribution center as examples to analyze the related data. The findings are following: (1) Using postponement strategies could reduce the quantity of uncertain demand and decrease the expenditure of orders processing cost, materials’ purchasing cost, inventories’ holding cost, manufacturing cost, and transportation cost. (2) As the quantity of specifications and types are larger, using postponement strategies will reduce more total cost.

碩士
國立成功大學
企業管理學系
105
This study explored the operation of a clothing manufacturer, a small-and-medium-sized enterprise which running over twenty years, and explained the entrepreneur’s dynamic managerial capabilities by using qualitative single case study. The most important point in this study was to discuss the interaction among those three underlying factors: Managerial cognition, Managerial social capital and Managerial human capital. Through exploration, this study finds two result. First, the interaction among those three underlying factors can be regarded as a process, and this process let managers make different decisions and strategies. Second, this process is a cyclic process. The first process will become a previous experience, and let next process become better. The research results imply that it is important for managers to shape correct managerial cognition by utilizing three underlying factors to make correct decisions. Also, the results can give the government some suggestions to develop small-and-medium-size enterprises in Taiwan.