How to Survive in a Declining Industry? A study of the clothing industry in Southern Italy

The aim of this paper is to identify possible competitive strategies that guarantee the survival of a declining industry. To reach this aim an explorative empirical research based on a multiple case study design has been developed. The research focuses on the textile and clothing industry and studies seven target companies operating in different textile and clothing subsectors. Empirical results allow to define a strategic business framework consisting of three competitive strategies each one characterized by a strategic goal and implemented by three macro-strategic actions: deindustrialization, internationalization, and leverage networking.