You are working for a menswear retailer as a sourcing specialist. The retail house plans to introduce its own private label formalwear merchandise for men. You are asked to prepare a research report that identifies two countries to which the retail house can outsource the manufacturing operations of its private label merchandise. According to the business strategy model, the countries chosen for outsourcing should meet the following features:

• Low cost manufacturing
• Intellectual property (IP) protection
• Low shipping cost
• Good working conditions in the overseas factory

The probable choices listed by the retail house management are

• China
• Bangladesh
• Vietnam
• Thailand
• Pakistan
• Guatemala

Identify two countries that in your opinion would provide the best outsourcing solutions for the retail house. Justify your response on the basis of cost of manufacturing, IP protection regulations, shipping costs, and working conditions in the identified countries.

In addition, you need to establish minimum standards for the company that would manufacture private label clothing line for the retail house. In your research report, stipulate minimum standards covering issues such as:

• Child and forced labor
• Work hours
• Safety practices

Research:

Be sure to read the online lectures and textbook chapters assigned for the week to gain a better understanding of the topics. Explore the Internet to analyze the outsourcing opportunities that different countries provide and complete the assignment. The following list is a good place to start, but you may also want to do your own keyword searches. Keep in mind that you may need to search for "apparel", rather than "fashion".

• GlobalEdge Web site, which supplies information about doing business around the world, and has specific information and links for the textiles and apparel sector.

• Alibaba.com can be helpful for viewing specific manufacturers, and you can select or search for categories, and then choose which countries you want to look at.

• The ILO (International Labor Organization) has information about labor standards by region and topic.

• The United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs has reports on child labor by country, as well as other labor-related reports.

• The Online Library has multiple databases located under the FRM section. If you are unfamiliar with the library, tours are offered on a regular basis.

Deliverable:

Create your 2- to 3-page research report in Microsoft Word format. Make sure to use correct word choice, spelling, and grammar. Remember to cite references in correct MLA format.