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This study empirically investigated how small and medium-sized Chinese apparel enterprises (SME) formed their strategy as a response to the characteristics of business environment in order to achieve competitive business performance. An environment-strategy-performance model was proposed and tested. Using primary data gathered by a questionnaire survey of the Chinese apparel industry, factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted for measurement and structural model analysis and hypothesis testing. Results show the proposed model met parsimonious statistical criteria. The differences in strategy responses to environment between high- and low-performing firms were striking. Confronting an increasingly turbulent business environment, high performers emphasized differentiation strategy through higher quality, better delivery performance, and greater flexibility than cost reduction. In contrast, low performers prioritized low cost while quality and flexibility were given certain weights. The lack of clear focus on strategies could result in a relatively lower performance. While the process of government-led industrial upgrading continues, forward-looking firms have proactively shifted their strategic focus from solely or mainly cost reduction to a variety of differentiating factors which bring in added value and are less imitable by competitors.

This study empirically investigated how small and medium-sized Chinese apparel enterprises (SME) formed their strategy as a response to the characteristics of business environment in order to achieve competitive business performance. An environment-strategy-performance model was proposed and tested. Using primary data gathered by a questionnaire survey of the Chinese apparel industry, factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted for measurement and structural model analysis and hypothesis testing. Results show the proposed model met parsimonious statistical criteria. The differences in strategy responses to environment between high- and low-performing firms were striking. Confronting an increasingly turbulent business environment, high performers emphasized differentiation strategy through higher quality, better delivery performance, and greater flexibility than cost reduction. In contrast, low performers prioritized low cost while quality and flexibility were given certain weights. The lack of clear focus on strategies could result in a relatively lower performance. While the process of government-led industrial upgrading continues, forward-looking firms have proactively shifted their strategic focus from solely or mainly cost reduction to a variety of differentiating factors which bring in added value and are less imitable by competitors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically examine a consumer perceived value (CPV) formation model in the context of the US casual sportswear market. The effects of investigated contingency factors on perceived values are empirically determined.Design/methodology/approachCPV was measured by four dimensions: price, quality, social and emotional values. The investigated contingency factors included gender, age, race, income level, and retailer type. The primary data were gathered by a nation‐wide survey of US consumers and the applied statistical techniques were exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe statistical analysis of 4,949 eligible survey responses shows that four value dimensions accounted for 77 percent of CPV variance. For the effects of contingency factors, race did not significantly affect the formation of any perceived values. In contrast, gender, income level, and retailer type significantly affected perceived price and emotional values, while perceived quality value was significantly affected by all contingency factors except race, and perceived social value was only significantly affected by age and income level.Practical implicationsIncorporation of gender, income level, and retailer type information in developing marketing strategies can help companies more effectively convey price and emotional values to consumers. In contrast, information relating to gender, age, income level, and retailer type should be considered in marketing quality value to consumers, while age and income level information is more critical for properly marketing social value to consumers.Originality/valueCompanies need to know, more than ever, about how consumers are redefining their values, as the current economic crisis has dramatically changed consumer preference. This study responded to this emerging need and provided timely empirical evidence.

Abstract: Background: Charcoal-burning has become a predominant method of suicide in many East-Asian countries since the 1990s. Aims: To explore charcoal-burning suicide trends from 1996 to 2020 in Taiwan. Methods: Joinpoint regression models were applied to identify suicide trends over the study period. Decompositional analyses quantified the contributions of age, sex, suicide method, and area of residence to suicide rate trends, accounting for age and geographical distribution of the general population, with a focus on charcoal-burning suicide. Results: There were three stages of suicide rate trends: increasing (1996–2006), descending (2006–2011), and levelling-off (2011–2020). Suicide by charcoal-burning accounted for 70% of the increasing suicide rates between 1996 and 2006 and 50% of the decreasing rates in the descending stage (2011–2020). During the levelling-off stage, suicide by charcoal-burning continued to decrease, albeit slowly. During the descending stage, there was a partial "substitution" of jumping for charcoal-burning. During the levelling-off stage, suicide by hanging partially "substituted" for suicide by charcoal-burning. Limitations: The variables included were limited by data availability. Conclusions: Charcoal-burning remains the second most common method of suicide in Taiwan today. Charcoal-burning has been partially replaced in the last 10 years by jumping and hanging. Monitoring suicide methods and trends is essential for suicide prevention interventions.