Conceptualizing the Impact of Market Orientation, Marketing Practices, and Government Policies on the Performance of Clothing and Textile Firms in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The clothing and textile (C&T) industry is one the oldest industry which contributes towards the development of most economies because of its backward and forward sectorial linkages. While this sector contributes to the economic development of other nations, the scenario is different for most of the developing countries including Zimbabwe. Most developing countries are experiencing an influx of second-hand products which are affecting the competitiveness of locally and internationally manufactured products. Poor performance and lack of competition in the C&T industry are attributed to the inability of the sector to compete in the face of cheap imported quality products and second-hand products. This raises a question on the market orientation (MO) of Zimbabwe’s C&T firms. In light of this, this paper is an attempt to conceptualize the impact of (MO) on the performance of the C&T firms in Zimbabwe.