Enterprise Risk Management: Insights from a Textile-Apparel Supply Chain

The authors investigate strategic measures companies adopt to combat and manage risks in order to survive and grow in an unstable economic environment. Based on in-depth interviews with senior staff from six Hong Kong-based successful enterprises in the textile and clothing industry, they find that companies have adopted various enterprise-wide, holistic, and integrative approaches to effectively address and manage risks. Also found was that the use of a formal approach to manage risks by a company at a different stage of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) maturity continuum is affected by its size, scope of operations, and legal structure. The findings from this study enhance the understanding of the relationship between organization structure and risk management.