Skill Development Training Using Social Media: The Apparel Sector in Bangladesh

Abstract

Social media is a modern educational tool in the contemporary world. However, there is a lack of research on how it can be applied to employee training in the ready-made garment industry. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the use of social media for employee training in the Bangladeshi apparel industry, which had a $43 billion apparel export in 2024. The study employs a qualitative research strategy grounded in the interpretivist and constructivist research paradigms. Consequently, three managers from the company case were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire. The content analysis is used to code the data.

The research findings demonstrate that social media is utilized in employee training due to its flexibility, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and interactive visual content. Supervisors mostly use social media to share instructional videos, Q&A sessions, and instant feedback. The most famous platforms for the workforce are YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, Google Meet, Zoom, Facebook, and Facebook Live. Social media-based training enhances technical skills, communication, and engagement. However, there are challenges during the training, including limited digital literacy, inadequate internet connectivity, distractions, misinformation, and the high cost of internet data. Theoretically, this study demonstrates that social media use in modern corporate training aligns with the principles of the technology acceptance model.

The study suggests that companies in the apparel industry must consider the digital literacy of their employees, subsidize internet access, implement structured training modules, and adopt hybrid training methods. The government should also focus on enhancing employees' digital literacy, reducing internet costs, and implementing legislation for social media in corporate training.