Ethnic fashion designers, entrepreneurs and family businesses: an African marketing perspective
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the perspective article is to review relevant literature on family business and ethnic fashion and establish links across identity (defined as culture, tradition, heritage and status) and fashion (color, design, pattern and fabric/texture) and internationalization (foreign market entry), and develop a conceptual model using the identity theory and qualitative method.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study by design. We used a systematic research and ethnographic method for this study. Specifically, the author used the participant observation aspect of ethnography to collect information and images relating to ethnic fashion. Ethnography is a well-established methodology widely used in social sciences research, including fashion.
Findings
The study's conceptual model proposes that (1) ethnic fashion mediates the identity-internationalization relationship, (2) knowledge transfer moderates the identity-ethnic fashion relationship and (3) family business size moderates the ethnic fashion-internationalization relationship. It is also revealed that a person's status can be judged by their dress and fashion in under two minutes.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the African continent, though it has 54 countries with a current population of about 1.5 billion people, which is expected to be roughly 2.5 billion by 2050.
Practical implications
Implications of the study for the entrepreneurs and family businesses are that they should realize the opportunities presented by ethnic African fashion and tap into the most crucial key to success—local design, color, fabric and patterns associated with meaning and messages. Cross-cultural collaborations and digital innovations can help the internationalization of African fashion while preserving local heritage and identity. Another implication is that quality and consistency in branding are equally essential to be on par with intentional luxury brands.
Social implications
The social implication of the study is that culture and fashion are correlated and influence designers' creations, reflecting and conveying identity, status and societal values. Fashion allows people to express their identity, individuality and values. The proper fashion and outfit can boost mood, self-esteem and confidence, resulting in healthy social interaction and mental health. Fashion can also raise social issues (e.g. inclusiveness, diversity and gender by featuring various models and designs) and environmental issues (e.g. sustainable practices local and ethical production).
Originality/value
The paper synthesizes ethnic fashion in the context of family businesses in Africa, highlights specific examples of ethnic fashion of African people with the potential for internationalization and proposes future fashion perspectives for family businesses. It adds value in that it focuses on fashion family businesses in the African continent.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author gratefully acknowledges the funding provided for the study by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Explore Grant, Canada. Grant ID # 17029 (2022). This study results from my several trips to African countries for observation-based ethnographic data collection. The author thanks profusely the following professors and professionals who helped him understand the local businesses, culture and its interpretation in the context of ethnic fashion: Samuel Ayeh-Bampoe, Regent University College of Science and Technology, Accra, Ghana; Ruth Widas Chilimanjira, Roots School, Lilongwe, Malawi; Babita Khare and Ravi Prakash, Descher Garments, Windhoek, Namibia; Dr Peter Lewa, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Dr Jive Lubbungu, Kwame Nkrumah University, Kabwe, Zambia; Dr Tsegabrhan Mekonen, University of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Dr Bupe Mutono Mwanza, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia. Finally, the author remains grateful to Editor-in Chief Dr Vanessa Ratten, La Trobe University, Australia, and the blind reviewers for their comments.
Citation
Singh, S. (2023), "Ethnic fashion designers, entrepreneurs and family businesses: an African marketing perspective", Journal of Family Business Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-09-2023-0156
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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