the role of sourcing agents in global apparel supply chains

11) How would you describe the current apparel industry business climate? Is it
struggling, thriving, competitive etc.? Feel free to use your own descriptions.
(Interview Objective #1)
12) Are there any official regulating bodies for sourcing agencies and how are
agencies monitored, if at all? (Interview Objective #4)
Data Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
Data representing four HTS codes was examined to determine what production
patterns have occurred in the apparel industry for the last 10 years. Data was compiled
from raw statistics for trade volume by year in each product category, including women’s
dresses of natural and synthetic fibers and men’s t-shirts of natural and synthetic fibers.
Each product category was studied individually and then plotted to show shifts in import
quantity. The import volume by country in $U.S. was plotted over time in five year
increments from 1998 to 2008. After plotting the results, the data from each of the
product categories was examined for patterns and compared to the other product
categories’ patterns of production by country.
Qualitative Analysis
Data from the interviews were reduced through coding to eliminate superfluous
information gathered during the interview process. Data reduction allows the researcher
to transform the data into a more manageable form that draws out themes and patterns
(Berg, 2009). Each interview transcript was initially reviewed and any relevant
information to the objectives was noted. This process did not identify major themes, but
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