An Analysis of Non-Consumption and Anti-Consumption: The Practices and Insights in Bangladesh

This paper examines the non-consumption and anti-consumption practices among consumers in Bangladesh. Ten consumers from different backgrounds were interviewed about consumption of certain product categories. From the narratives of these informants, the factors and motivations behind non-consumption and anti-consumption were identified. In general, consumers may restrain themselves if they cannot afford a product, which is a reality in Bangladesh considering the economic status and purchasing power of the consumers. However, intentional non-consumption is also evident. It has been found that consumers avoid certain products as an initiative to support environmental sustainability, personal health care, and even as care for their family members. Sometimes the promotional activities used by manufacturing companies are so exaggerated that consumers find these claims highly deceptive and thus the consumers avoid these items. In addition, because of the social history and tradition of Bangladesh, the religious norms and values considerably guide the consumers to follow nonconsumption of some products. Finally, the authors address the need for further studies to find out the relationship among various demographic, psychographic, economic, and social variables of consumers and their impacts on consumers’ perception toward non-consumption and anticonsumption

Direct and indirect influences of supply chain management practices on competitive advantage in fast fashion manufacturing industry

Purpose: This study investigates supply chain management (SCM) practices in a specific fast fashion apparel (FFA) industry. The impacts of SCM practices on competitive advantage (CA) are investigated via mediating roles of supply chain agility (SCA) and partnership quality (PQ). Resource advantage (R-A) theory, in addition to resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability theories, is used as theoretical underpinning. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach is adopted: a qualitative field study and survey research. Data from 296 apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh are analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, involving reflective and formative, first- and second-order constructs and mediation tests using the Hayes PROCESS macro. Findings: Both SCM practices and PQ significantly affect SCA. SCM practices are found to directly enhance CA, but, counterintuitively, only marginally. Only through mediations of SCA and PQ do SCM practices enhance CA significantly. This is a departure from past research that has postulated direct effects between SCM practices and CA. Research limitations/implications: This research is confined to the FFA industry and one national setting, Bangladesh. The data analyzed is also cross-sectional, with customary limitations on the temporal dimension. Practical implications: SCM practices contribute to CA, but only through the mediation of PQ and SCA. This is an important directive to practitioners. Also, the second-order reflective measures for each construct indicate the specific SCM practices needed to maximize CA. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on SCM practices in FFA industry, specifically the mediating roles of PQ and SCA, resulting in new, more nuanced findings that are important in dynamic business settings, driven by new theoretical perspectives incorporating R-A theory, which has hardly been utilized before in SCM research

Poor resource capital of micro-entrepreneurs: the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation

Purpose Understanding the micro-start-up resources and its relationships with entrepreneurial orientation and performance is unique because it operates a business in a poor resource setting. However, poor resource settings of micro-start-up are not adequately examined into the literature in relation to entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Therefore, grounded on resource-based view, this paper aims to attempt to examine the relationships between resource capital, entrepreneurial orientation and performance in a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach To establish this, the authors conducted a survey among 180 micro-entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and analyzed the data using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. Findings The results demonstrate the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between human and financial resources and performance, while having partial mediating influence between social resource and performance, therefore indicating the importance of resources for determining business outcomes for micro-entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications These results extend theoretical explanations of micro-entrepreneurship within the poor resource setting context. The findings have implications for identifying micro-firms likely to succeed for the purpose of strategic allocation of resources and supports; they also provide future research avenues. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has established that entrepreneurial orientation plays a critical and mediating role between resource capital and micro-firm performance in a poor resource setting