| The purpose of this study was to explore the models of manufacturing strategy and examine the effects of manufacturing strategies (cost, quality, flexibility, or delivery time) on style variations (changes and types). This study was also designed to examine the effects of manufacturing strategies and style variations on selected sewing systems and sourcing management in the U.S. apparel industry. An apparel manufacturing strategy modeling framework was developed to provide a basis for examination of this complex process.;Self-administrated questionnaires were mailed to 450 randomly selected companies from three groups; a disproportionate stratified sample was used. Adjusted sample size was 363; a total of 110 usable questionnaires were received for an adjusted response rate of 30.3%. Cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, GLM, logistic, and linear regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses.;This study suggests that there are four different models of apparel manufacturing strategy. The results also indicate that the production of new styles of apparel is related to the manufacturing strategies of quality and delivery; the standardized style of apparel production is related to the manufacturing strategies of cost; and style change of apparel production is related to the manufacturing strategies of quality and delivery. Results support this proposed model which has successfully provided a basis for the current study. It may also serve as a theoretical framework for future studies of apparel manufacturing, and it may also provide a foundation to validate the extent of some of the trends in apparel manufacturing strategies and production management that have been reported in the literature. |
