Value creation and competitive advantages for the Shrimp industries in Bangladesh

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the value chain activities of shrimp firms in Bangladesh, and mapping the Porter’s (1985) value chain framework to see if it works or not. The present study identifies the gap, synthesizes and analyzes those gaps which lead the firms to create more values from firms to consumers. Design/methodology/approach - Interviews were conducted with the shrimp industry managers in the southern region of Bangladesh. Exploratory qualitative research method was used and the questionnaire was semi-structured. Data were gathered from 43 firm managers. After sending multiple phone calls and face to face meeting, the response rate was 35.83 percentages. Findings - Poor transportation, communication gap between the stakeholders, shortage of raw shrimps and lack of quality standard were the areas where shrimp industries were suffering. It was found that some of the primary and secondary activities of shrimp industries did not map with Porter’s framework. Based on Porter’s framework, the study suggested that analyzing and synthesizing those gaps can lead the firm more value and competitive advantages. Research limitations/implications - Limitations include a lack of knowledge on value chain and shortages of raw materials for the processing plants. Moreover, the sample size was small for this exploratory study. Practical implications - Shrimp industries will learn standard value chain activities, and identify the gaps based on the mapping of Porter’s value chain. Originality/value - Using Porter’s value chain this is the first empirical study in the shrimp firms in Bangladesh. The primary research contribution is the revised theoretical framework which can be used for further research on shrimp industries in Bangladesh.