Abstract
The global economy which is enhanced through
changing technologies of all types is
pressurizing organisations to improve
productivity of their business processes.
Competition is forcing organisations to focus
their energy on “core competencies.” Like many
industries, the clothing industry is witnessing
changes in technology, diversification of labour,
managerial implications while competing on the
global market. The South African clothing and
textile industry has the potential to create jobs,
but this potential has been steadily diminishing
over the last ten years before 2007 [7]. In this
context the performance of the clothing industry,
whether in terms of efficiency, working
conditions or degree of social protection, is unstable. The industry’s ability to generate
sustainable and productive employment varies
according to geographical locations.
This paper explores the experiences of
employees at a clothing manufacturer in South
Africa through empirical data that was gathered
through a series of focus group and individual
interviews and analysed in terms of the idyllic
relationship between management commitment
and process improvement implementation in the
workplace. In the development of these insights,
the study aims to inform the process of the
implementation of business process
improvement particularly for the clothing
industry in South Africa [1].