This research rethinks sustainable marketing strategies to ensure the future of Zimbabwe's apparel and textile sector in the global market. This research contributes to the expansion of the concept of sustainable marketing strategy by including critical external factors in the definition of the concept.
INTRODUCTION
- I NTRODUCTION
- RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION
- B ACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
- State of the clothing and textile industry in Zimbabwe
- T HE R ESEARCH P ROBLEM
- R ESEARCH AIM AND O BJECTIVES
- K EY RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- R ATIONALE FOR THE S TUDY
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
- The Researcher
- To the clothing and textile sector
- Clothing and textiles companies
- To the University
- To the Economy
- D ELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
- Theoretical boundary
- Geographical boundary
- Delimitation of Participants
- R ESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS
- L IMITATIONS
- S TRUCTURE OF THE THESIS
- C ONCLUSION
The stability of the Zimbabwean macroeconomic environment remains a key challenge to the sustainability of business; especially in the clothing and textile sector. These two streams of literature are then integrated within the context of the clothing and textile sector.
LITERATURE REVIEW
I NTRODUCTION
GLOBALIZATION -A CRITIQUE
He further states that “the concern becomes the maintenance of an advantage by expanding a company's customer base through internationalization efforts, and/or by improving products and services to meet or exceed those offered by importing the products or services of a foreign company” (Stiglitz, 2002:55). Despite this difficulty, “the different definitions allow for a comprehensive understanding of globalization that is comprehensive enough to allow us to see what is at the heart of the thoughts of those who think about the concept in modern discourse” (Machida.
THE EFFECT OF GLOBALIZATION
Despite this difficulty, "the various definitions do allow a comprehensive understanding of globalization that is comprehensive enough to enable us to see what lies at the heart of the minds of those who think about the concept in modern discourse" (Machida, 2012:440).
G LOBALIZATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY
The Internet helps companies reduce marketing costs and changes the way companies do business (Fu et al., 2011; Narula & Dunning, 2010). In this context, the rapid adoption of advanced process technologies has helped many up-and-comers to compete with global giants (Nam & Barnett, 2011; Fu et al., 2011).
G LOBALIZATION AS A THREAT
- Increased inequality
- Increased control by developed countries
- Competition and the threat to workforce
- Globalization and unemployment
Many authors argue that globalization has resulted in an increase in the level of unemployment as the demand for low-skilled labor native to developing countries is decreasing as many companies acquire advanced technology instead (Spence, 2011; IMF, 2000; Anyanwu, 2013). Therefore, it can be argued that the globalization process leads to higher levels of unemployment, especially in developing countries and in industries where low skills have traditionally been in demand, such as in the clothing and textile sector (Golub & Hayat 2014; Monga, 2013).
R ESPONDING TO G LOBAL T RENDS
- The role of strategy
A number of authors have also conducted studies linking marketing strategy and an organization's overall performance (Wang & Verma, 2012; Zou & Cavusgil, 2002; Patel & Chavda, 2013). However, by combining a number of factors, Zou and Cavusgil (2002) argue for a radical adjustment of the elements of the marketing mix in pursuit of a marketing strategy that guarantees success in the global marketplace.
M ARKETING STRATEGY
More critically, issues of quality and attributes must be addressed holistically if success is to be guaranteed (Lages et al., 2004). In support of this assertion, Morgan et al found that "product qualities are a key determinant of performance and thus improving a company's market share". It is therefore not surprising why product quality and product innovation are rarely mentioned by academics and managers as some of the key determinants in a company's overall success and performance (Tangtong et al., 2010).
Marketing strategy making and innovation
Internal firm’s characteristics
External environment
An industry-based view further emphasizes the need to align a firm's strategy with its wider environment (Gabrielsson et al., 2012). In other words, external factors determine a company's strategy, which in turn affects its performance (Kim & Mauborgne, 2015; Leonidou et al., 2002).
Strategy in the global market- a focus on the clothing and textiles
They consider such a position as allowing them to pursue a low-cost leadership strategy as they offer global products through a standardized strategy (Gabrielsson et al., 2012). In addition, the low-cost leadership strategy can be applied when consumers seek to maximize value (Gao et al., 2010; Teece, 2010).
G AINING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Alignment of strategy with market demands is the only sustainable marketing strategy (Palmer et al., 2015). This will help secure the future of apparel and textile companies in Africa and other developing countries (Chirisa & Dumba, 2012).
A CHIEVING C OMPETITIVENESS THROUGH RESOURCES
Strategic company resources are essential in the overall cost leadership drive of the company (Christmann, 2000). Existing resources in the clothing and textile industry must be identified and utilized to seize the existing opportunities in the global marketplace (Chirisa & Dumba, 2012).
C OMPETITIVE S TRATEGY
- A critique of Porter’s 5 Forces Model
They can also be used to build a strong corporate reputation relative to the competition (Campbell et al., 2012). Eskandari et al., (2015) note that the intensity of each of these forces determines the expected level of profitability of a company.
S USTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
I MPORTANCE OF STANDARDIZATION
THE I MPORTANCE OF INTEGRATION IN MARKETING
When marketing strategies are aligned with existing assets, the greatest benefit is synergy; a crucial feature for challenging the consequences of globalization (Chimhanzi & Morgans, 2005; Narayanan et al., 2011). Apparel and textile companies in Sub-Saharan Africa should consider business process integration as an option to mitigate the debilitating effects of globalization (Goriwondo et al., 2012).
I NTEGRATION – THE CONCEPT OF DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES
Teece (2014:13) notes that “firms must consider the service aspect; including deliberate efforts to gather information about customer preferences and tastes.” It is argued that "collecting information about customers and involving them in the creation of products (co-creation) is an especially important basis for developing and providing services in a more sustainable way" (Edvardsson et al., 2006 :57). . Thus, it is conceptualized that dynamic capabilities play a crucial moderating role in the discourse of survival through marketing strategy in the era of globalization.
R OLE OF COUNTRY POLICIES IN STRATEGY
The internal processes of the company must be consciously ready to facilitate the process of its seizure and exploitation (Chesbrough, 2010; Teece, 2010). The procurement context requires a critique of the role of government policy and its relationship marketing strategies implemented and proposed by companies in the clothing and textile sector (Moyo, 2014).
R OLE OF INFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY
Within the globalization discourse, policymakers must be highly critical of market conditions to save the industry from total collapse (Moyo, 2014; Chirisa & Dumba, 2012). Over the past decade, Zimbabwe has opened up significantly to the influences of the global economy through a process of liberalization (Zindiye et al, 2012).
C HAPTER SUMMARY
However, Lui (2015) argues that it is not only the availability of technology that matters for the success of a company, but also the quantity and quality of internal skills adapted to apply available technology for competitive advantage. Even though there is overwhelming evidence about the relationship between the use of modern technology and the ability of a company to build future value, the claim will need to be empirically tested by this study.
THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- I NTRODUCTION
- T HEORIES OF GLOBALIZATION
- World-system theory
- Theories of global capitalism
- The network society
- A DOPTED THEORY
- T HEORY OF GLOBAL M ARKETING S TRATEGY
- A CHIEVING COMPETITIVENESS
- T HE C ONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- Models for competitiveness
- Competitiveness through conceptualizing Porter’s Model
- R ESEARCH C ONCEPTUALIZATION
- R ESEARCH HYPOTHESES
- Marketing Program Standardization
- Coordination of marketing activities
- Collaboration and the concept of co-alliance
- Role of Technology
- The role of policy in strategy
- Use of company dynamic capabilities
- RESEARCH MODEL
- C HAPTER SUMMARY
The model asserts that "the nature of external global conditions and the firm's willingness to pursue global opportunities are key factors that determine the success of any success in today's global marketplace" (Zou & . Cavusgil, 2002:41). As a result, “the survival of companies is strongly linked to how well they adopt modern technology to improve the efficiency of their operations and thus gain a competitive advantage” (Nayak et al., 2015:4).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
I NTRODUCTION
R ESEARCH P HILOSOPHY
The main purpose of the research was to collect evidence in the field through direct interaction with all actors directly interested in the effect of globalization on marketing strategy, thus justifying the use of positivist and phenomenological paradigms. It was deemed necessary to combine both paradigms due to the complex nature of this particular study, as no single paradigm could holistically answer all of the research questions outlined in this study.
M IXED RESEARCH
- Data Triangulation
The general argument advanced by triangulation is the quest to maximize the richness and validity of the data thereby increasing its reliability (Dumbili, 2014). The views of the interview participants were triangulated with the survey results and the discussion reports which were part of the discourse analysis.
R ESEARCH DESIGN
The nature of the research question and the overall research objectives should be considered in choosing the research design (Wilson, 2014). Therefore, given the nature of the research problem as described, it was decided to select the case study as the most suitable for this research project.
C ASE STUDY DESIGN
Several factors were also considered in the actual selection of the case study, including the size of the company, the number of employees, the geographical dispersion of its branches and the nature of the business. This was done on purpose to ensure comparability and generalizability of research results.
R ESEARCH PROCEDURE
As pointed out in the literature, several factors explain why the clothing and textile sector is the most vulnerable in the face of globalization (Goriwondo et al., 2012). Thus, the selection of this case study was not based on a random selection, but rather considered decision based on several factors, including some revealed in the literature.
P OPULATION
S AMPLING
- Sample Size determination
However, not all companies agreed to participate, leaving a total of 75 companies that participated in the research. The limited number of representatives was largely due to the fact that some of the targeted companies flatly refused to participate in the research or were in the process of liquidating their businesses.
S ELECTION OF P ARTICIPANTS
- Policy makers
- Industry representatives
- Consumers
This was based on the assumption that the extent of the effects of globalization can be interpreted differently by people due to their residential locations as income levels and lifestyles naturally vary by neighbourhood.
D ATA COLLECTION TOOLS
- The questionnaire
- Questionnaire pilot testing
- Questionnaire Design
- Validity and reliability of the research instrument
- Interview guide
- Audio recorders
Therefore, researchers are expected to determine the internal consistency of the research instrument so that the results obtained can be trusted and accepted as valid (Tavakol & Dennick, 2011). In accordance with the above statement, the reliability of the research instrument was achieved through preliminary pilot testing of the questionnaire among some selected company representatives.
C ONTACTING PARTICIPANTS AND PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS
E THICAL C ONSIDERATIONS
D ATA COLLECTION M ETHODS
- Interviews
- Interviewing Formats
- Documentary Evidence
- Sources of documentary data
- Data from observations
- Discussions
- Informal discussions
- Formal discussions
- Discourse Analysis
At the beginning of all interviews, the focus and purpose of the research were explained to the participants. Therefore, data sustainability is one of the major advantages of documentary data sources.
D ATA REDUCTION
Given the power of the written and spoken word, discourse analysis is necessary for describing, interpreting, analyzing and critiquing the social life reflected in text” (Fairclough, 2002:5). As Fairclough points out, discourse analysis attempts to unify and determine the relationship between the actual text and the larger social context that influences the text. Therefore, all printed and recorded text was analyzed in this regard; carefully criticizing the words said to extract meaning from them.
D ATA P RESENTATION AND ANALYSIS TOOLS
- Mixed data analysis
Considering the relatively small sample size of the study, the use of SEM was found more appropriate to measure the effect of the different marketing strategies to ensure the sustainability of the companies in the global business environment. The analysis of the different constructs was carried out in accordance with the research objectives stated in the study.
D RAWING CONCLUSIONS AND VERIFICATION
Some things that are numerically correct are not true; and some things that are not numerical are true. Orthodox research produces results that are statistically significant but humanly insignificant; in human research it is much better to be profoundly interesting than boring."
L IMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH
This is true in part because of the growing dissatisfaction with the quantitative or scientific approach that has dominated research in recent years. This view was well supported by the research, as the qualitative discourse analysis did manage to glean some valuable insights into the effect of globalization on marketing strategy in the clothing and textile sector.
C HAPTER SUMMARY
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
I NTRODUCTION
I NSTRUMENT R ELIABILITY
QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
- Preliminary Information
- Business Classification
- Position in the Business
- Length of Time in Business
- Effects of Globalization
- Benefits of Increasing Interconnectedness of Markets
- Challenges of Globalization
- Sustainable Marketing Strategies to adapt to Globalization
- The Impact of Standardized Marketing Strategy on Minimizing the Effects of Globalization
- Role of coordination in the creation of sustainable marketing strategies
- Effect of Collaboration in creating Sustainable Marketing Strategies
- Application of Associational Inferential Test- Spearman’s Rho
- The Role of Technology
- Spearman’s Rho Correlation-Determining Linear Relationships
- Chi-Square Test- Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty
- Role of Policy in Mitigating the Effects of Globalization
- Correlation Matrix
The results also show mixed views on whether the increasing interconnectedness of the clothing and textile sector has resulted in the improvement of product quality. The role that the government can play in the revival of the clothing and textile industry in Zimbabwe is summarized in Table 5.32.
S TRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING (SEM)
- Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
- O UTCOME C ONSTRUCT PATH ANALYSIS
- P REDICTORS ( LATENT VARIABLES ) PATH ANALYSIS
- F INAL S TRUCTURAL MODEL
In order to test the adequacy of the model, a goodness-of-fit test was performed as shown in Table 5.36 below. Therefore, further analysis was required to confirm the appropriateness of the model.
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA
- Discourse analysis
- Content analysis
You just have to follow the rules of the game..the formula is: quality plus price equals success.”. He said: "The prevailing economic problems in the country have forced many Zimbabweans to have less disposable income and therefore a deterioration in lifestyle".
CHAPTER SUMMARY
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
INTRODUCTION
D ISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
- How can standardized marketing strategies assist in reducing the effects of globalization?
- What role does coordination of marketing strategies play?
- Can marketing strategy be aided through integration and collaboration of marketing activities?
- What role does technology play?
- How can government policies assist in marketing strategy implementation?
This has been cited as a key strategy for the success of the clothing and textile sector by both consumers and company representatives. As a result, the long-term strategic goals of the company will be achieved (Knudsen & Nielsen, 2010).
C HAPTER SUMMARY
While most of the research findings are well supported by current literature (e.g. Ndlovu & Heath, 2013; Meyer, 2009, Cling et al., 2007), the study has succeeded in expanding this current knowledge by providing evidence supporting the integral role of minimal government regulation in support of the company's marketing strategies. Therefore, while it is the prerogative of companies in the clothing and textile sector to identify sustainable marketing strategies to survive in the global market, the role of government is to create an environment that promotes and protects the interests of the industry.
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- INTRODUCTION
- SUMMARY
- C ONCLUSIONS
- Main Findings
- M ANAGERIAL I MPLICATIONS
- L IMITATIONS OF THE R ESEARCH
- S UGGESTIONS FOR F URTHER R ESEARCH
Technology is one of the main drivers of globalization and as such must be embraced by all organizations in the clothing and textile sector. In the end, a balanced view of the impact of globalization on the clothing and textile companies was achieved.
