Call number: LD2668 .T4 1962 B38

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1963 A57 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1966 F837 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 C28 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 H341 / Master of Science

Clothing labels are considered to be a source of information to consumers in a developing (Potchefstroom, in the North West Province of South Africa) and a developed country (Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the United States of America) context, which serve to promote the standard of consumer decisions by providing information on the intrinsic and extrinsic product properties and care instructions. Once consumers in these two contexts come in contact with clothing labels, the sensory information is registered into buffers that are located in their sensory memory store and the relocation of (clothing label) information to their long-term memories (knowledge) depends on their level of attention and information rehearsal. Although a number of studies have been conducted on clothing labels and the construct of knowledge separately, few studies were found to focus on consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels while none have compared the knowledge of consumers from different settings. The aim of this study was to compare the subjective and objective knowledge of the information on clothing labels of consumers in a developing (Potchefstroom, SA) and a developed (Fayetteville, USA) country context in order to determine the differences between these consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels. Furthermore, the objectives of this study were to determine the demographic profiles of respondents in a developing and a developed country context; the differences in the subjective knowledge of respondents on clothing labels; the differences in the objective knowledge of respondents with regard to the written and pictorial information on clothing labels; the association between respondents’ subjective and objective knowledge of the information on clothing labels and the differences in the subjective and objective knowledge of respondents from different demographic subgroups. The aim and objectives of this study were reached by employing a quantitative, comparative, descriptive approach. Furthermore, purposive sampling was used to recruit respondents in Potchefstroom and Fayetteville who met specific inclusion criteria. Respondents in this study had to be between the ages of 18 and 70 years, participate in clothing shopping, be able to read clothing labels and respondents and their spouses should not have worked in a clothing-related sector. Potential respondents in both cities were approached at predetermined public and private areas, such as universities, municipal offices, retirement facilities, parking areas and shopping centres which existed within both cities at the time. Data were collected simultaneously in Potchefstroom (N=445) and Fayetteville (N=336) by employing an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Male and female respondents and the Black/African and White/Caucasian population group in Potchefstroom were well distributed; however, female respondents were more and the White/Caucasian population group was the largest in Fayetteville. Furthermore, respondents of the different age groups were well distributed in Potchefstroom while there were more respondents in Fayetteville who were between 18 to 24 years of age and less respondents who were 25 to 34 years of age. The largest percentage of respondents in Potchefstroom completed a secondary education while the largest percentage of respondents in Fayetteville completed a tertiary education. In addition, in both Potchefstroom and in Fayetteville, the largest number of respondents did not have any children under the age of 18 years residing with them. Some demographic subgroups of respondents in a developing country context indicated that they did not use clothing labels because it is confusing, difficult to locate information and too detailed. In contrast, some demographic subgroups of respondents in a developed country context experienced problems with the small size of the label content and the trustworthiness of clothing labels. The results indicated that objective knowledge regarding “symbols” of respondents from Potchefstroom and Fayetteville differed practically significantly while only a tendency was evident for the difference in their objective knowledge regarding the written information on clothing labels. No practically significant differences were found for their subjective knowledge and objective knowledge of “do not symbols”. Results further indicated a negative association between respondents’ subjective and objective knowledge of the written information on labels, implying that the higher respondents’ perceived knowledge, the lower their actual knowledge of the written information was. Subjective knowledge among respondents in these two cities and countries were found to differ regarding age and education, while objective knowledge of “symbols” and “do not symbols” were found to differ regarding age, education and amount of time spent shopping for clothing products. Some differences with regard to gender were also evident for “symbols”. The results of this study clearly indicated a lack of clothing label knowledge, predominantly among consumers in a developing country context with regard to “symbols” as well as a lack of objective knowledge concerning “do not symbols” among respondents in Potchefstroom and Fayetteville. It is therefore suggested that the results of this study should be used for the development of educational programmes and/or extension services in Potchefstroom. Such programmes and services should primarily be aimed to promote consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels, more predominantly within SA. Manufacturers, clothing retailers and marketers within both contexts can also contribute to improve the lack of objective knowledge regarding all the information on clothing labels among respondents in Potchefstroom as well as Fayetteville respondents’ knowledge of “do not symbols”. This can be done by employing information provision techniques aimed to provide consumers with more information on how to read and interpret the written information and care symbols on clothing labels that may positively influence consumers in both contexts to use labels to a greater extent, also having a positive influence on their current lack of objective knowledge regarding some label aspects. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Clothing labels are considered to be a source of information to consumers in a developing (Potchefstroom, in the North West Province of South Africa) and a developed country (Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the United States of America) context, which serve to promote the standard of consumer decisions by providing information on the intrinsic and extrinsic product properties and care instructions. Once consumers in these two contexts come in contact with clothing labels, the sensory information is registered into buffers that are located in their sensory memory store and the relocation of (clothing label) information to their long-term memories (knowledge) depends on their level of attention and information rehearsal. Although a number of studies have been conducted on clothing labels and the construct of knowledge separately, few studies were found to focus on consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels while none have compared the knowledge of consumers from different settings. The aim of this study was to compare the subjective and objective knowledge of the information on clothing labels of consumers in a developing (Potchefstroom, SA) and a developed (Fayetteville, USA) country context in order to determine the differences between these consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels. Furthermore, the objectives of this study were to determine the demographic profiles of respondents in a developing and a developed country context; the differences in the subjective knowledge of respondents on clothing labels; the differences in the objective knowledge of respondents with regard to the written and pictorial information on clothing labels; the association between respondents’ subjective and objective knowledge of the information on clothing labels and the differences in the subjective and objective knowledge of respondents from different demographic subgroups. The aim and objectives of this study were reached by employing a quantitative, comparative, descriptive approach. Furthermore, purposive sampling was used to recruit respondents in Potchefstroom and Fayetteville who met specific inclusion criteria. Respondents in this study had to be between the ages of 18 and 70 years, participate in clothing shopping, be able to read clothing labels and respondents and their spouses should not have worked in a clothing-related sector. Potential respondents in both cities were approached at predetermined public and private areas, such as universities, municipal offices, retirement facilities, parking areas and shopping centres which existed within both cities at the time. Data were collected simultaneously in Potchefstroom (N=445) and Fayetteville (N=336) by employing an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Male and female respondents and the Black/African and White/Caucasian population group in Potchefstroom were well distributed; however, female respondents were more and the White/Caucasian population group was the largest in Fayetteville. Furthermore, respondents of the different age groups were well distributed in Potchefstroom while there were more respondents in Fayetteville who were between 18 to 24 years of age and less respondents who were 25 to 34 years of age. The largest percentage of respondents in Potchefstroom completed a secondary education while the largest percentage of respondents in Fayetteville completed a tertiary education. In addition, in both Potchefstroom and in Fayetteville, the largest number of respondents did not have any children under the age of 18 years residing with them. Some demographic subgroups of respondents in a developing country context indicated that they did not use clothing labels because it is confusing, difficult to locate information and too detailed. In contrast, some demographic subgroups of respondents in a developed country context experienced problems with the small size of the label content and the trustworthiness of clothing labels. The results indicated that objective knowledge regarding “symbols” of respondents from Potchefstroom and Fayetteville differed practically significantly while only a tendency was evident for the difference in their objective knowledge regarding the written information on clothing labels. No practically significant differences were found for their subjective knowledge and objective knowledge of “do not symbols”. Results further indicated a negative association between respondents’ subjective and objective knowledge of the written information on labels, implying that the higher respondents’ perceived knowledge, the lower their actual knowledge of the written information was. Subjective knowledge among respondents in these two cities and countries were found to differ regarding age and education, while objective knowledge of “symbols” and “do not symbols” were found to differ regarding age, education and amount of time spent shopping for clothing products. Some differences with regard to gender were also evident for “symbols”. The results of this study clearly indicated a lack of clothing label knowledge, predominantly among consumers in a developing country context with regard to “symbols” as well as a lack of objective knowledge concerning “do not symbols” among respondents in Potchefstroom and Fayetteville. It is therefore suggested that the results of this study should be used for the development of educational programmes and/or extension services in Potchefstroom. Such programmes and services should primarily be aimed to promote consumers’ knowledge of clothing labels, more predominantly within SA. Manufacturers, clothing retailers and marketers within both contexts can also contribute to improve the lack of objective knowledge regarding all the information on clothing labels among respondents in Potchefstroom as well as Fayetteville respondents’ knowledge of “do not symbols”. This can be done by employing information provision techniques aimed to provide consumers with more information on how to read and interpret the written information and care symbols on clothing labels that may positively influence consumers in both contexts to use labels to a greater extent, also having a positive influence on their current lack of objective knowledge regarding some label aspects. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis documents a study of the dimensions of export market orientation associated with export performance. In particular, the research objective is to examine empirically the development and support of a corporate export market orientation and its successful implementation in Turkish clothing companies, as evidenced by successful export performance, and to investigate variations in export performance which may be related to export market orientation. In summary, this research aimed to explore the nature of market orientation in an international context by using empirical data from a sample of companies to examine some hypotheses regarding market orientation as applied to export operations in Turkish clothing industry. This aim was fulfilled by reliably and validly measuring the key constructs of export market orientation and finding statistically significant relationships between dependent and independent variables. The results of this thesis draw conclusions from an empirical investigation showing that the proposed relationship between export market orientation and export performance does exist, and in the case of Turkish clothing exporters, improving an export market orientation level is a significant contributor to the company's export performance. In order to explore the relationship between export market orientation and export performance, a two phase research design was adopted and conducted in the Turkish clothing industry. The sample for both stages were drawn from a listing of the member companies of the Turkish Textile and Apparel Exporters Association. This listing by the Association is complete and accurate because of the control which obligates exporters to register all their export actions. First, an exploratory phase was conducted in order to gain a clearer understanding of key issues. The stage 1 study was based on 103 responses received from a sample frame of 156 companies representing a 66 0/0 response rate. The primary objective of the first stage research was to develop a profile of the characteristics of the industry. Data generation was achieved through mail questionnaires and respondents were top managers of the selected companies. Second, the Cadogan, Diamantopoulos, and de Mortanges (1997) construct was used to test the hypothesis. The stage 2 study was based on 163 responses received from a sample frame of 384 companies representing a 43.47 % response rate. Data generation was achieved through mail questionnaires and respondents were again top managers of the selected companies. Results were analysed using the SPSS statistical analysis computer package. The findings, based on a sample of Turkish clothing exporters, show that the instrument developed by Cadogan, Diamantopoulos, and de Mortanges (1997) is reliable and exhibits content and convergent validity. Regression analysis found a significant effect of the level of export market orientation on dimensions of export performance. The positive relationship between export market orientation and dimensions of export performance indicated that a high level of export market orientation leads to a higher level of export performance and a low level of export market orientation produce a lower level of export performance. The research hypotheses are supported by the results of the study. The multidimensional operationalisation of export market orientation allowed the testing of the relationship between the dimensions of export market orientation with dimensions of export performance. Generally, there is a strong relationship between the dimensions of export market orientation and dimensions of export performance.

This thesis concerns female Islamic dress, the hijab, in contemporary urban Finland. The hijab is not merely a symbol or an inevitable embodiment of either female oppression or agency, but rather is a form of dress that is simultaneously social, mental, material, and spatial. The approach developed here captures the multiple dimensions of the hijab as it is lived and experienced. The thesis draws upon ideas from a range of social theorists, including Bourdieu, Lefebvre, Goffman, and Gramsci. These ideas are deployed to understand the conscious and semi-conscious dress strategies and practices that veiling Muslim women use to manage various everyday issues and challenges. I investigate questions concerning how social, material and spatial relations both impact upon, and are negotiated by, the wearing of the hijab. The research was conducted in Helsinki using ethnographic methods, such as semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The main groups of informants were Finnish converts to Islam, Somalis, and Shi'a Muslims from Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the sample covered women of various ages, educational backgrounds, and professional positions. The empirical chapters are organised according to four major themes: Politics, Materiality, Performance, and Visibility in Public Space. According to the findings, Muslim women in Finland negotiate their dress strategies with reference to Finnish ‘mainstream' society, religious doctrine and the demands of their particular ethnic communities. Dress strategies and practices are found to be bound up in complex but identifiable ways with factors such as fashion markets and dress availability, diverse modes of embodiment and habituation, and the socio-spatial relations which produce and are produced by the Finnish built environment. In sum, by focussing on the lived experience of wearing the hijab, many of the more simplistic politicised understandings of Muslim women and their characteristic forms of dress can be challenged and superseded.

Clothing and textiles are an important means of communication, providing nuanced signals of economic and social status, occupation, and political affiliation. Consequently the study of clothing and textiles is a valuable approach to the investigation of a past society. Building on current methodological approaches associated with clothing and textile history and the study of material culture, this thesis will investigate how the clothing and textiles of the Scottish population in the long eighteenth century can be interpreted as symbols of wider cultural, social and economic practices. Studies of tartan and Highland dress have dominated the literature on historical Scottish dress and textiles, a result of these items’ intimate connection with modern Scottish identity. This thesis seeks to redress the balance by examining clothing and textiles in both the Highland and Lowland regions, in rural and urban areas, and in the experiences of the elite and non-elite sections of the population. This will be done using multiple and varied sources, including surviving artefacts, portraits, inventories, and contemporary literature. By incorporating quantifiable analysis and qualitative interpretation, this approach complements and adds to existing knowledge of Scottish clothing and textiles. The thesis begins with an examination of the clothing culture, looking at everyday clothing and its use in national, occupational, and political identities. Examination of the textile culture scrutinizes the use of textiles in literature, the economic and ideological approaches to the textile industry, and the practical motivations behind tartan manufacture. The role of ‘fashion’ in Scottish clothing and textile cultures is studied, looking at how outside fashions were received within Scotland, and how Scotland in turn influenced wider fashions. The thesis provides an overview of Scottish dress and textiles in the long eighteenth century demonstrating the importance such investigation can have on the comprehension of the wider social and economic practices of a nation.