Identifying the Small Apparel Manufacturer: A Typology of Manufacturing Strategies

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dc.contributor.authorJones, Michelle R.en
dc.contributor.committeechairKincade, Doris H.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGiddings, Valerie L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberChen-Yu, Jessie H.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLang, James R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberSingh, Kusumen
dc.contributor.committeememberDeHart, Dawnen
dc.contributor.departmentNear Environmentsen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:10:15Zen
dc.date.adate1999-04-29en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:10:15Zen
dc.date.issued1999-04-16en
dc.date.rdate2008-05-30en
dc.date.sdate1999-04-20en
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study was to develop a typology of small apparel manufacturers (SAMs), firms classified between SIC 2310 to 2389 and less than 50 employees. The objectives were to (a) determine if distinct manufacturing strategies existed among SAMs, (b) develop a profile of these groups using environmental factors known to affect the apparel industry and small businesses (i.e., customer service, operations, barriers, assistance, customer size, customer location, competitor size, competitor location), (c) develop a profile of SAMs based on demographics (i.e., SIC, end-use for products, manufacturing process, type of firm, fashion position, employee size, manufacturing strategy, marketing strategy, annual gross revenue), and (d) determine the existence of a relationship between SAMs use of market strategies and manufacturing strategies. Data were collected from 146 SAMs, which represented 15 states with the highest number of SAMs. Factor analysis was used to identify manufacturing strategy factors (i.e., flexibility, environmental consciousness, product attributes, lot sizes), which were used to cluster respondents; and environmental factors (i.e., customer service, education/industry awareness, flexibility, timing, unit costs, production resources, technology/automation, consistency in sales, investment capital, import reductions). Four clusters of manufacturing strategies emerged and were profiled according to environmental factors and demographic variables (i.e., products, product classification, manufacturing processes, type of firm, type of fashion, manufacturing strategies, marketing strategies, firm's employee size, annual gross revenues). Significant differences occurred among the four manufacturing strategy groups and environmental factors. Significant differences occurred among the four manufacturing strategy groups and demographic variables. No relationship existed between manufacturing strategy groups and their marketing strategy.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.identifier.otheretd-042099-141333en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-042099-141333/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/27072en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartetdmrj99.PDFen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectfactor analysisen
dc.subjecttypologyen
dc.subjectcluster analysisen
dc.subjectmanufactureren
dc.subjectmanufacturing strategiesen
dc.subjectapparel manufactureren
dc.subjectsmall businessen
dc.titleIdentifying the Small Apparel Manufacturer: A Typology of Manufacturing Strategiesen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineNear Environmentsen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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