Textile and Apparel Industries

Relationships between Apparel Buyers’ Mediated Power and Bangladeshi Suppliers’ Psychologically Defensive Workplace Behavior

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Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between the social power of apparel buyers from developed countries and the psychologically defensive workplace behavior of the suppliers from a developing country. An online survey was used to collect 205 responses from the professionals who were working in the apparel exporting companies in Bangladesh. The results showed that the exercise of buyers’ reward and coercive power were associated with the suppliers’ perfectionistic workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers’ coercive power was associated with the suppliers’ arrogant-vindictive workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers’ reward power was associated with the suppliers’ narcissistic workplace behavior and coercive power was found to be statically suggestive. This study will help apparel buyers to better negotiate with Bangladeshi suppliers in maintaining proper workplace conditions and compliances and industry professionals to better educate suppliers on how to deal with workplace pressure.

Keywords: apparel industry, buyer-supplier, workplace behavior, social power

How to Cite:

Rana, M. & Ha-Brookshire, J. E., (2019) “Relationships between Apparel Buyers’ Mediated Power and Bangladeshi Suppliers’ Psychologically Defensive Workplace Behavior”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 76(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.11428