BUFT Journal of Fashion and Technology

Investigation of Compliance

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study is to examine the compliance situation of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) factories. Methodology: For the analysis, survey data was collected from 88-export oriented RMG factories in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and surrounding districts, including Gazipur and Narayanganj. Two workers from each factory were interviewed to explore the factory’s compliance status. The interviews took place from August to September 2019. The survey questionnaire used the main questions from the compliance assessment tool developed by the International Labor Organization, which contains various issues in compliance with international standards and national legislation. Findings: The study found that Bangladesh’s RMG factories’ compliance situation, especially the working environment, is improving. However, a highest level of non-compliance has been found in some areas such as trade union issues, payment of overtime, voluntary overtime issues, regular working time, leave facilities, and so on. Hence, significant improvement in these compliance issues is necessary. Limitations: This study has focused on the compliance issues of RMG factories from the workers’ perspective. Hence, there is a scope for further study to measure the compliance situation of the RMG factories from the viewpoint of stakeholders. Practical Implication: This study discloses significant aspects of the compliance status of Bangladeshi RMG factories. The findings will provide inputs for policy design aimed at improving the factories’ compliance situation with the international standards. Originality: This study is particularly focused on compliance issues by using ILO formulated assessment tools and one of the studies in the area of Bangladesh RMG factories.

Investigation of Compliance

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study is to examine the compliance situation of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) factories. Methodology: For the analysis, survey data was collected from 88-export oriented RMG factories in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and surrounding districts, including Gazipur and Narayanganj. Two workers from each factory were interviewed to explore the factory’s compliance status. The interviews took place from August to September 2019. The survey questionnaire used the main questions from the compliance assessment tool developed by the International Labor Organization, which contains various issues in compliance with international standards and national legislation. Findings: The study found that Bangladesh’s RMG factories’ compliance situation, especially the working environment, is improving. However, a highest level of non-compliance has been found in some areas such as trade union issues, payment of overtime, voluntary overtime issues, regular working time, leave facilities, and so on. Hence, significant improvement in these compliance issues is necessary. Limitations: This study has focused on the compliance issues of RMG factories from the workers’ perspective. Hence, there is a scope for further study to measure the compliance situation of the RMG factories from the viewpoint of stakeholders. Practical Implication: This study discloses significant aspects of the compliance status of Bangladeshi RMG factories. The findings will provide inputs for policy design aimed at improving the factories’ compliance situation with the international standards. Originality: This study is particularly focused on compliance issues by using ILO formulated assessment tools and one of the studies in the area of Bangladesh RMG factories.

Investigation on Compliance in Ready-made Garment Factories in Bangladesh

Graduate School of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study is to examine the compliance situation of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) factories. Methodology: For the analysis, survey data was collected from 88-export oriented RMG factories in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and surrounding districts, including Gazipur and Narayanganj. Two workers from each factory were interviewed to explore the factory’s compliance status. The interviews took place from August to September 2019. The survey questionnaire used the main questions from the compliance assessment tool developed by the International Labor Organization, which contains various issues in compliance with international standards and national legislation. Findings: The study found that Bangladesh’s RMG factories’ compliance situation, especially the working environment, is improving. However, a highest level of non-compliance has been found in some areas such as trade union issues, payment of overtime, voluntary overtime issues, regular working time, leave facilities, and so on. Hence, significant improvement in these compliance issues is necessary. Limitations: This study has focused on the compliance issues of RMG factories from the workers’ perspective. Hence, there is a scope for further study to measure the compliance situation of the RMG factories from the viewpoint of stakeholders. Practical Implication: This study discloses significant aspects of the compliance status of Bangladeshi RMG factories. The findings will provide inputs for policy design aimed at improving the factories’ compliance situation with the international standards. Originality: This study is particularly focused on compliance issues by using ILO formulated assessment tools and one of the studies in the area of Bangladesh RMG factories.

Can Green Management Practices Ensure Environmental Sustainability? A Firm-Level Study on Readymade Garments Sector of Bangladesh

Jagannath University; City University; BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Purpose: The present study is an initiative to establish a relationship between greenmanagement practices and environmental sustainability in the ready-madegarments (RMG) industries of Bangladesh.Methodology: The data were collected over 404 respondents covering 20 industriesusing a well-structured questionnaire. To analyze the data and test the formulatedhypotheses statistical software SPSS was used. The study was based on aconceptual framework where green management practices, employees’ sustainablebehavior, and environmental sustainability were considered as independent,mediating, and dependent variables accordingly.Findings: The study findings reveal that there is a significant positive impact ofdeveloping green abilities (DGA), and providing green opportunities (PGO) onemployees’ intention to green and sustainable behavior. In addition, the employees’green behavior towards sustainability (EBTS) has a significant effect onenvironmental sustainability (ES). However, motivating green employees (MGE),and maintain green behavior (MGB) has no significant impact on employees’sustainable behavior.Limitations: The study is based on cross-sectional data collected from the primarysource and covering 404 samples. It would be better if the researchers can covervast areas with more samples and secondary data also.Practical Implication: The study is considered as a wake-up call for the relatedparties, decision-makers (managers and owners), government regulatory bodies, ofgarments manufacturing industries in Bangladesh. The findings of the study canplay a significant role in taking decisions regarding any more investment decisionsin green management practices in different sectors.Originality: The study is an original one and it has considered some specific areasof green management practices which make it different from other previous studies.

Relationship and Causality between Technology-intensive Trade and Poverty –A Panel ARDL and Granger Causality based Analysis

University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify whether trade in different sectorsclassified based on technology intensity has differential effects on poverty inemerging economies. The study classified trade into high technology (HT), mediumtechnology (MT), low technology (LT), and periphery products using classifiedtrade data collected from the UNcomtrade database. The study then examinedwhether the relationship and causality between trade in different sectors and povertyvary.Methodology: The study applies a panel ARDL model to identify the long-termand short-term between trade in different sectors and poverty as well as the VECMbased Granger causality approach to find out the direction of causality between thevariables.Findings: The results of the study support the view that the relationships andcausality between technology-intensive trade compositions and poverty differacross measures of poverty and country groups. Trade-in any sector substantiallyraises the average income of the poorest quintile both in low growth and highgrowth developing countries but they have a differential effect on extreme povertymeasured by poverty HCR in different countries.Limitations: The major limitation of the study is the unavailability of trade data.The trade data for emerging countries is not available for a long time and there areproblems with missing data. Moreover, poverty and income data are not alsoavailable. Due to the unavailability of data, the study excludes some emergingcountries from the analysis.Practical Implication: The results of the study would help to identify the effects oftrade on alleviating poverty and formulate trade policies that would be pro-poor.The study also opens a new window for trade-poverty linkage research.Originality: This study is one of the unique approaches to look into thetrade-poverty nexus from a different point of view. The results of the study evidencethat trade in different sectors affects countries’ poverty differently and thus urgeresearch in this field in a broader scope.

The Effect of Street Food Attributes on Improving Food Tourism in Mymensingh: The Mediation Role of Tourist Perception

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Impact of Capital Structure on Profitability of Cement Industry in Bangladesh

Pabna University of Science and Technology; University of Rajshahi
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Purpose: This paper seeks to unearth the impact of capital structure on theprofitability of listed cement companies at the Dhaka stock exchange in Bangladesh.Methodology: Data have been collected from secondary sources for the 10 yearsfrom 2009-10 to 2018-19 to accomplish the objectives. Data gathered tabulated,categorized, arranged, and concluded the necessary calculation for the production ofpanel data to fulfill the purpose. The capital structure ratios, profitability, andmultiple linear regressions have been used to analyze data with the help of IBMSPSS-21. Capital structure ratios are short-term debt to total assets (STDTA),long-term debt to total assets (LTDTA), total debt to total assets (TDTA), long-termequity debt (LTDEQ), and total equity debt (TDEQ) and are considered to be theindependent variables. The return on total assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) areselected as the profitability and used as a dependent variableFindings: Results forced to conclude that short-term debt to total assets, long-termdebt to total assets have a neagtive effect on the return on total assets. This impliesthat the company would reduce profits by accumulating more borrowed money. Onthe other hand, short-term debt to total assets, long-term debt to total assets have apositive influence and long-term equity debt have a negative impact on return onequity.Limitations: The study is conducted based on secondary data. So the validity andreliability cannot be judged. There are 32 cement companies of Bangladesh ofwhich only seven are listed so the availability of data scope of the study was narrow.Practical Implications: This implies that the firm raises more borrowed capital willreduce profit. So the authorities should use debt judiciously.Originality: Research indicates that profitable companies are less dependent ondebt as their key funding choice. In the case of Bangladesh, a high proportion of thedebt is covered by short-term debt.