• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.15 no.3 s.68
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• pp.461-471
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• 2007

Many Korean apparel firms have been adopting the global sourcing to enhance their competitive advantages. The purposes of this study were to identify the current status of global sourcing adopted by Korean apparel firms and to provide useful information for the other apparel firms planning the global sourcing. The questionnaire survey was conducted to 65 Korean apparel firms. The firms selected for this study were women's, men's, unisex casual wear manufacturers which made their products at offshore factories. The results show that about half of them started global sourcing before 2000. Unisex casual wear firms were already doing the global sourcing very actively and women's wear firms were followers. The major benefit of the global sourcing was the cost reduction. The firms that had made inroads into the global market find much satisfaction in global sourcing. These early adopters expected their sourcing countries as a future consumer market. The threatening elements of the global sourcing were the difficulties of quality control and labor cost rising. Cost and technical ability were considered importantly in selecting the global sourcing partners. The firms started the global sorucing before 2000 were greatly depended on offshore production. They concerned for the problems related to the global sourcing.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.595-608
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• 2008

Although Korean apparel companies have transformed dramatically from contractors to sourcing companies thanks to the rapid growth of local market, relatively little work has been done identifying the determinants and the patterns of global sourcing activities of Korean companies. The purpose of this study was to outline a conceptual model that may be used to organize and guide global sourcing activities of Korean apparel manufacturers and retailers. The conceptual model identified four important factors, cost factor, strategic non-cost factor, firm's internal factor, and global factor, which affect global sourcing strategies and help predict how companies conduct various sourcing activities. The model also identified two sourcing patterns, outsourcing and intra-firm sourcing. In developing the model, literature review on how manufacturers and retailers in diverse areas including global apparel sourcing was conducted. Managerial implications and directions far future study were offered as well.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.55-69
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• 2014

As Korea's global IT sourcing is sluggish and supply of qualified IT personnel does not meet the demand, IT developers currently do not worry about their job security. The sluggish global sourcing is attributed to the lack of system design and analysis skills as well as lack of communication skills of IT personnel. Most of big Korean IT service firms operate in captive market. This is also attributed to the cause of the sluggish global sourcing. Some IT managers, especially in global IT service firms, concerned about the negative long term effect of the sluggish global sourcing on competitiveness and human infra capability of Korea's IT service industry. Managers in IT service firms expect skill requirement changes in the future when global sourcing becomes active. The skills and knowledge that they wish to retain in-house is business knowledge, system analysis and design knowledge, customer relation management skills, project management skills and industry knowledge. The jobs with the above knowledge usually involve customers.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.130-136
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• 1999

During the last decade global sourcing has been widely practiced by multinational firms. While the importance of global sourcing has grown rapidly, there have been ralatively few empirical studies on this issue Thus, this study empirically investigates the commonalities and differences between European and Japanese multinational firms sourcing patterns. Especially, this study focuses on two dimensions of global sourcing activities: inter-firm sourcing and intra-firm sourcing.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.754-769
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• 2015

Global sourcing refers to activities performed to acquire materials, finished products and apparel production all around the world. The purposes of the study were to examine basic job requirements and primary skills of sales team and supporting team in global sourcing companies, to investigate educational programs provided by the companies or other educational institutions, and to examine courses to be newly established in the curriculum of clothing and textile majors. The results of the study found that the ability to use English and communication skills were important to perform their tasks (sales and supporting teams). The results revealed that fabric and textile, sewing, and apparel production process were the most frequently taken educational programs provided by global sourcing companies and English classes were the most frequently taken educational programs in the other educational institutions. The results also found that the clothing and textile curriculum need to add classes that help sales and supporting teams perform global sourcing tasks, such as fashion practical English, fabric and textile, apparel production processes, textile and apparel trades, fiber and fabric testing, and presentation skills. The study suggested educational directions for developing curriculum contents of clothing and textiles and cultivating professionals in the global sourcing industries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.751-762
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• 2002

Korean apparel industry is facing critical moment due to shortage of labor, wage increases and intensive competition among domestic manufactures. In addition, international production has been shifting to China and the other low-wage countries from established locations such as Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Global sourcing has been received considerable attention since firms can enhance their competitive advantage as well as comparative advantage by coordinating their sourcing activities global]y. This studs regarded global sourcing as one of the strategic tools to achieve competitive advantage of Korean apparel firms, and explored the current status by literature reviews and series of in-depth interviews with managers of korean apparel firms. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) Due to geographical advantage, China was the most favored nation for outsourcing for domestic markers. However, exporting firms preferred Latin America (including Mexico) to take advantage of duties, quotas and geographical proximity to the US market. 2) In selecting the global sourcing country, productivity, technical ability, local government regulation, and culture were considered important. 3) Most Korean apparel firms sources production globally, and followed by raw materials and trims. 4) Cost and quality were the most important factors in deciding subcontractors, and experience, productivity, equipment and finances were the next concerns. Academic implications and future directions were suggested based on findings.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.206-216
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• 2022

This study sought to examine the sustainability criteria found in the global sourcing practices of global fashion retailers. Sustainable supply chain management, with a particular focus on the sustainability criteria of global sourcing, was analyzed. This qualitative study was based on a focus group interview and corporate social responsibility (CSR) annual reports. Eight master categories, 18 middle categories, and 37 bottom categories were extracted. The key categories and their middle categories were as follows: (1) Social compliance (working conditions, employment, safety); (2) Environment concerns (environmental pollution management, eco-friendly production, supply chain environment); (3) Energy efficiency (energy saving program, store environment); (4) Consumer protection (restricted substances management, consumer product safety improvement); (5) Management system (code of conduct, triangle audit system); (6) Community social activities (local community service, voluntary activities, charitable activities); (7) External stakeholder engagement (media & non-governmental organization management, maintenance of relationship with local authority); (8) Brand protection (respect for companies' intellectual property). The findings of this study offer academically significant insights into the sustainability criteria that can be encountered by companies under diverse global sourcing scenarios, revealing that global sourcing by fashion retailers is not merely a means of reducing costs, but a way of generating new jobs and making a social contribution to developing countries. The study's findings also have practical significance, offering guidelines for general CSR activities in the global sourcing process.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-53
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• 1999

Global sourcing strategy is the one that apparel firms adopt in order to improve efficiency. Souring statesgies are not limited to the decision of sourcing country or vertical integration of sewing process Sourcing strategies include all the ecision of marketing process from the acquisition of fabric to distribution of products. The present study aims to analyze the soucing strategies of Korea apparel industry in global perspectives by applying transaction cost approach and aims to provide the implications for the future. The results are as follows ; (1) sourcing strategies in the dimension of domestic versus offshore soucing are determined by the experience in foreign business and the degree of fashionability of the product. (2) Firms tend to increase affshore soucing as they accumulate the experience in foreign business because they can decrease transaction costs as the perceived risks decrease (3) Also firms tend to source their products in foreign countries when the products are more fashionable. Brand loyalty of the product is a additional factor that increases the proportion of domestic sourcing. (4) Degree of vertical integration of sourcing is determined by the fashionability brand loyalty and the experience in foreign business. That is firms decrease the transaction costs by avoiding the investment to short life fashion products. However firms increase the control over the high reputation product by in house production. As the apparel firms tend to more marketing oriented and the national boundaries of business envrionment becomes permeable more efficient global sourcing strategies should be stablished, Besides the production costs nonproduction costs should be equallly considered in order to analyze the total costs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.819-830
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• 2003

Korea is facing great threat from other countries as a major global sourcing site for textile and apparel products. The threat has been augmented by changes in external environment such as advents of Trading Blocs and Free Trade Area(FTA) as well as internal environment such as hikes in labor cost and lack of flexibility in accommodating international buyers' needs. This study analyzed international buyers' sourcing activities in Korea for the purpose of developing strategies to enhance competitiveness of the Korean textile and apparel industries in the global market. The data used in this study were gathered by surveying 52 non-Korean textile and apparel product buyers with cooperation of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI). The data were analyzed by mean, frequency, Pearson correlation coefficient, and ｘ$^2$ analysis. The results indicated that Korea is still attractive to many international buyers especially to those who have been engaged in global sourcing for longer periods of time with bigger purchasing budgets. However, in order to expand and solidify their customer bases, Korean companies should focus more on developing competitively priced value added products a step ahead of their foreign competitors, diversifying their marketing channels including internet.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.115-128
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to systematize various clothing production methods that domestic fashion brands are utilizing to produce fashion products, and to propose effective clothing production methods according to the characteristics. The research methods are contents analysis method of the literatures, articles, reports, and interviewing method of the practitioners who are in charge of the production of fashion. First, the clothing production methods of the domestic fashion brands are categorized as follows. It is divided into a fashion brand management method and a promotion company entrustment method based on who carries out the clothing production and management. The fashion brand management method is subdivided into the 'rental-production', 'CMT', and 'self-production' methods. All three methods are performed at domestic and global sourcing, but the CMT method is more utilized at the global sourcing. The promotion company entrustment method is subdivided into the 'full consignment production method', the 'CMT method involving promotion company', and 'direct buying method by promotion company'. All methods are performed at domestic and global sourcing. Second, the results of reviewing effective clothing production methods, according to characteristics are as follows. If fashion brands control the production and management, they use all three fashion brand management methods. The fashion brands use the promotion company entrustment method when they wants to offer special products, or the number of items is large, or the production management is difficult, or the manpower and equipment size is reduced. The domestic sourcing is utilized by fashion brands and promotion companies when production management is required for high quality apparel production, in case of trendy and complex designs, spot production, and in small quantity production. The global sourcing is utilized by fashion brands and promotion companies when it comes to lowering the production cost, fashion brands preferred the mass production of apparel with design that can be pre-planned.