Determinants of supply chain effectiveness during economic slowdown – anexploratory study of the Indian Textiles Cluster

This paper aims at studying the functioning of the supply chain in the garment cluster. It identifies key factors thatcontribute to the effective functioning of supply chain network and practices undertaken to can withstand adverseeconomic situations. Moreover, it was analysed the payment of dividends to the industry in terms of better businessperformance. This paper uses a case based exploratory research methodology, which aims to understand the causeand effect relationship between the variables influencing the supply chain network. A comprehensive literature reviewwas undertaken and logical reasoning was applied to propose the hypotheses and the conceptual model. Case studiesfrom various developing nations were considered and a wide variety of supply chain models have been carefully studiedto propose the constructs. This has led to the development of a model which is flexible to with stand economic crisis andat the same time effective and more robust enough to support the functioning of the various nodes in the garment supplychain network. This study to the best of author’s knowledge have not been undertaken in the garment cluster in adeveloping nation. The implications of this study is bound to give much needed support and leverage to the frail andunderperforming garment cluster which is a major contributor of Gross Domestic Product and employment generator forthe growing middle class in these developing nations