A questionnaire constituted the principal chosen data collection tool in this study. The researcher proposed to design two questionnaires, one in French and another one in English as in Mauritius and the DRC French is spoken. During the course of interview by the researcher, a questionnaire was given for completion and immediate return. A questionnaire helped to gather quickly and easily information required from the respondents in a non-threatening way.
In fact, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2005) define a questionnaire as a set of questions on a form which is completed by the respondent in respect of a research project. They further affirm that the basic object of a questionnaire is to obtain facts and opinions about a phenomenon from people who are informed on particular issues (Strydom et al., 2005). In this study, the main reason for using a questionnaire was to ascertain the respondents’ (managers’) understanding, expertise and perspectives on the survival and competitiveness of the textile and clothing industry in the Southern African Region. Careful consideration was given to the structure and design of the questionnaire to ensure that accurate and desired information is obtained. The questionnaire incorporated the issues of participant anonymity and confidentiality. A copy of a questionnaire used in this study is attached as Annexure.
In addition to the above, Leedy and Ormrod (2001:202) indicate that that a questionnaire seems to be simple, yet in our experience they can be tricky to construct and administer, and one false step can lead to uninterruptable data or an abysmally low return rate. Thus, Johnson and Christensen (2008:176) add that essentially open-ended questions provide qualitative data, while close-ended questions provide primarily quantitative data. As mentioned by Welman and Kruger (1999), questionnaire and face-to-face interviews are the most common instruments to collect data in social research. A questionnaire is the most appropriate and convenient technique to collect information from respondents on opinions, beliefs, practices, attitudes and convictions. Indeed, Leedy and Ormrod (2005) have listed the following requirements to be taken into account when compiling a questionnaire:
Confidentiality should be assured;
Wherever possible, a choice of answers should be given on the form;
The questionnaire should be well laid out, with adequate space for answers, where necessary;
Questions should not be offensive and not require any calculations;
Questions should not give cause for emotive language; and
Questions should be short, simple and to the point.
Furthermore, Leedy and Ormrod (2005) state that a questionnaire should also comply with at least the following three objectives:
It should be executed within the ambit of available time and resources;
It should reflect accurate information regarding the research study;
It should meet the aims of the research. The following types of questionnaire were used:
4.4.1.1 Mailed Questionnaire
In this study, a mailed questionnaire (by post or online emails) was chosen due to its low cost because the response rate is very low reason why the researcher proposes to undertake an in- depth interview at their place of work or via telephone with the participants. A mailed questionnaire is, according to Grinnell and Williams (1990:216-217), one which is sent off by mail in the hope that the respondent will complete and return it. However, this does not always happen, as the response rate is normally low, often around 30%. If initial mailings are followed up, this percentage may be increased (Rossouw, 2003:129).
As noted by Delport (2005), the advantage of the mailed questionnaire is that costs are relatively low. The respondent enjoys a high degree of freedom in completing the questionnaire, and information can be obtained from a large number of respondents within a brief period of time. What is most important is that in mailed questionnaires the same stimulus is offered to all respondents and the possible “contaminatory” influence of a fieldworker is eliminated. Delport further indicates that a mailed questionnaire must be therefore being carefully organized because explanation by a fieldworker is not available. A mailed questionnaire also facilitates the processing of the data (Delport, 2005). Thus, the researcher proposed to follow up by visiting the different respondents or to send fieldworkers or another researcher to do a face-to-face interview and complete the questionnaire at the same time.
4.4.1.2 Self-Administered Questionnaire
In this case, the questionnaire was handed to the respondent, who completed it but the researcher was available in case problems were experienced. The researcher (or fieldworker) limited any contribution to the completion of the questionnaire to the absolute minimum. The researcher thus largely remained in the background and could at most encourage the respondent with a few words to continue with his contribution, or lead him back to the subject (Delport, 2005). The researcher found that this technique was good in terms of completed questionnaires as thirty- eight (38) completed questionnaires out of forty (40) completed questionnaires were from self- administered questionnaire. The mailed questionnaire, on the other hand, did not produce a satisfying result as only two completed questionnaires out of forty (40) completed questionnaires belong to this technique. It is important to note that one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were sent out but only forty (40) questionnaires were retuned back completed. Thus, out of one hundred and twenty (120) sent questionnaires, more than thirty (30) questionnaires were sent via emails and only two questionnaires were returned completed which reveal the low response rate about this technique. One limitation is that a very good number of firms in the textile and clothing industry in the SAR closed due low cost competition.
4.4.1.3 What is this study going to measure?
How do the concepts and issues identified in the literature review translate into practical questions? The nature of the topic researched in this study dictated the use of a questionnaire as the primary research tool. The questionnaire was highly structured as a data collection technique in which respondents were asked the same set of questions. The questionnaire in this study was developed from the theoretical analysis of the literature review chapter two and chapter three. The questionnaire was selected as a data gathering tool. It gave a uniform answering style,
quicker and easier to administer and analyse. It had been also mentioned that interviews with key informants were contacted telephonically; especially Federation Representatives, National Bargaining Council, Trade Unions members, and other government stakeholders.
This study is about the sustainability and competitiveness of the textile and clothing industry in the SAR. It then tries to explore what underpins a firm’s survival and understand why these firms have survived and what can be done to promote sustainability and competitiveness. It provides an understanding of labour repression and value added production paradigm on how they contributed to the textile and clothing industry’s survival and competitiveness. This section provides precise information about what is going to be measured and how the questionnaire was constructed. The questionnaire covered a number of issues which were related to performance measurements from 2005 to 2010. It concentrated also on other important key issues concerning the industry sustainability and competitiveness in the SAR by examining what enables a firm’s to survive, and understanding what the two most important managerial strategies or alternative strategies are in the production process on how to help firms to survive, how many firms survived, what works in the industry, how it works and what can be done to ensure things in the industry will perform efficiently in the future. Thus, this study proposed to take the following into account and ask certain questions like:
A company’s basic profile which included issues such as ownership patterns, firm size, location, and product profiles. This section presented some important details about a number of firms operating in the SAR.
The impact of value added production on overall competitiveness and survival of the firms by trying to understand how essential it is for a firm to engage in value added production: What underpin these firms’ survival? How many firms survived? What is the overall performance of the industry? Which types of firms have survival? How essential is it for a firm to engage in value added production and how many firms were involved in this? What are the significance of best labour practice and its contribution to the firms’ performance?
Firm level performance which includes issues such as output trends, profitability trends, export trends. This section provides crucial information of the different firms’ competitiveness and sustainability. Does firm survival or competitiveness have anything to do with human resources (HR) practices?
Human resources development: (What the nature and extent of labour repression? Are there any firms involved in labour repression and how many firms are using it? Can best labour practice contribute to firms’ performance? Is there any relationship between HR practice and firms’ performance? Are there any indications of strikes, lockouts or workers engaged in any violent form of protest in any of your factories/production units? To what extent do the workers unions have contributed on firms survival and competitiveness) Other important issues related to this section include training and development issues, work council, reward system, use of quality circles and communication or the overall industrial relations, retrenchment issues, etcetera. Can
government policy interventions help, encourage and promote the local industry’s competitiveness?
Indeed, the construction of questions can be determined by factors such as content, format, type of wording and the order of words. The questionnaire used in this study is attached as Appendix B in English and Appendix C in French (see page 329 to 337).