scholarly journals Do ethical concerns and personal values influence the purchase intention of fast-fashion clothing?

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Stringer ◽  
Gary Mortimer ◽  
Alice Ruth Payne
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Fast Fashion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe rise of fast fashion has changed the face of global fashion. Despite sector growth, critics have questioned the level of obsolescence, encouragement of over-consumption and fast fashion's unsustainable business practices. Specifically, mounting concerns surround the impact on environmental, worker and animal welfare. Accordingly, the aim of this current work is to understand the influence of consumer's values on ethical consumption in a fast-fashion context.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was designed to collect responses relating to personal values and ethical concerns towards animal and worker welfare issues, as well as environmental concerns. A total of 350 US-based fast-fashion consumers completed the survey via Amazon MTurk. Factor analyses and structural equation modelling were used to analyse and test a theoretically hypothesised model.FindingsThis study found that self-transcendence values and openness to change values have a positive impact on consumers' levels of ethical concern towards animal welfare, the environment and worker welfare concerns within the fashion industry. Furthermore, a consumer's level of concern towards animal welfare and the environment positively influences a consumer's likeliness to purchase ethically marketed fast fashion.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the role of consumer values and their influence on ethical concerns within the fashion industry and the impact of these concerns on intentions to purchase ethically marketed fast fashion. Responding to calls for further research into ethical consumption of apparel, this study includes all elements of ethical consumption identified, including animal welfare. This study identifies ethical areas of concern salient amongst fast-fashion consumers and provides a deeper understanding of the values impacting the level of ethical concerns surrounding animal welfare, the environment and worker welfare.

You Shall (Not) Fear

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 628-644
Author(s):  
Heejin Lim ◽  
Moonhee Cho ◽  
Sergio C. Bedford
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Emotional Arousal ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Animal Cruelty ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supportive Behavior ◽  
Threatening Condition

Purpose In the age of transparency, nonprofit organizations have attempted to raise awareness of unethical business practices through diverse social media platforms, putting firms under great pressure to incorporate sustainability in their operations. Focusing on the issue of animal cruelty which is a relatively under-investigated topic in the fashion industry, the purpose of this paper is to examine how different levels of animal cruelty depicted in nonprofit organizations’ ethical consumption campaigns influence viewers’ negative emotions and lead to their supportive behavior and ethical consumption intention. Design/methodology/approach In the main study, undergraduate students (n=82) from a big public University in the USA were recruited in exchange for extra credit and randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions of animal cruelty in a single-factor, three-level, between-subjects experimental design: non-threatening condition (n=26), low-threatening condition (n=27) and high-threatening condition (n=29). Findings The results indicated that the levels of negative emotional arousal are positively related to levels of perceived animal cruelty in social media campaigns. In addition, negative emotional arousal mediates the effect of perceived animal cruelty on the intention of supportive behavior, but no mediation effect on ethical consumption intention was found. Additionally, the findings of this study revealed that the indirect effect of perceived animal cruelty on supportive behavior intention is moderated by participants’ moral justification such as the reality of economic development and government dependency. Originality/value The findings of this study contribute to the literature by advancing the current understanding of the role of negative emotional images in ethical consumption campaigns in the context of animal cruelty in the fashion industry.

scholarly journals As cheap as humanly possible: why consumers care less about worker welfare

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Stringer ◽  
Alice Ruth Payne ◽  
Gary Mortimer
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Fast Fashion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Area Of Concern

PurposeWorker welfare and modern slavery within the fashion industry remain a key supply chain challenge for many retailers, consumers, governments and advocacy groups. Yet, despite publicised worker-welfare violations, many fashion retailers continue to post record sales and profits, indicating that consumer concern does not always translate at the cash register. Research has shown that worker welfare is a less salient area of concern for fashion consumers, and the aim of this research is to investigate the reasons why this may be the case.Design/methodology/approachDue to the exploratory nature of the research, a qualitative methodology was deemed the most appropriate. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian fast-fashion consumers to investigate the underlying reasons worker-welfare violations are less likely to elicit pro-social consumer behavioural change and are a less salient area of concern.FindingsThis study found that consumers perceive worker-welfare concerns at both a proximal and cultural distance to themselves, and therefore struggle to connect with the issues associated with modern slavery. Additionally, there was an underlying social consensus that exploitative practices are an accepted part of the fast-fashion supply chain to ensure the continuation of low-cost clothing. Despite an underlying awareness of exploitative practices and acknowledgement that modern slavery is ethically wrong, other consumer values often influenced purchase behaviour and the level of concern expressed towards garment workers.Originality/valueThis is the first study to apply psychological distance in a fast-fashion context to better understand consumer perceptions towards modern slavery. Responding to calls for further research into ethical consumption of apparel, this study develops an in-depth understanding of the reasons why worker welfare is a less salient area of concern for fast-fashion consumers. Extending on current literature, this study qualitatively investigates consumer sentiment towards worker welfare, identifying the greatest barriers to consumers' levels of concern. In addition to a theoretical contribution to the fashion, ethics and business literature, this article provides key insight to guide practice.

Examining public perceptions of CSR in sport

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 629-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joon Kyoung Kim ◽  
Holly Overton ◽  
Kevin Hull ◽  
Minhee Choi
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Professional Sports ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Perceived Fit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Teams ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Patronage Intentions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how the public views two corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives practiced by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. This study examined the role of perceived fit between an MLB team and its two CSR initiatives in shaping consumers’ intentions to support the team’s CSR efforts.Design/methodology/approachA between-subjects experiment (n=207) was conducted using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to examine the impact of CSR fit on consumers’ patronage intentions.FindingsThe results of this study showed that consumers’ perceived fit between sports teams and their CSR has a positive impact on consumers’ patronage intentions. The values-driven and strategic-driven attributions of the team’s CSR initiatives were positively associated with their patronage intentions.Research limitations/implicationsBoth the values-driven and strategic-driven attributions were positively associated with consumers’ patronage intentions, while previous studies suggested negative association between strategic-driven attributions and consumer behaviors. The findings indicate that consumers do not view professional sports teams’ strategic-driven CSR initiatives to be negative business practices. This could result from the fact that CSR initiatives have become a prevalent and expected organizational practice.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature of CSR within the context of professional sports teams as corporations. The findings of this study suggest that professional sports teams could benefit from CSR initiatives when the teams select social causes with which consumers could infer values-driven and strategic-driven attributions.

scholarly journals Does organizational innovation always lead to better performance? A study of firms in Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Thuc Anh Phan
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Workplace Organization ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between organizational innovation and performance of firms in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature review, the author proposed five hypotheses covering the relationships between different aspects of organizational innovation and firm performance. Data collected from a survey of 266 firms in Vietnam were analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Two out of three aspects of organizational innovation, including “innovation in business practices” and “innovation in workplace organization,” are significantly positively associated with firm performance. However, there was no evidence to support the relationship between firm performance and the third organizational innovation aspect, “organizational innovation in external relations.” The results also show that the interaction terms among three aspects of organizational innovation do not have significant impacts on firm performance. Practical implications Firms in Vietnam should pay more attention to innovation in business practices and innovation in workplace organization since two aspects have clear positive influences on performance. Moreover, firms can perform each of the organizational innovation aspects independently or in parallel, as the implementation of organizational innovation in one aspect does not influence the impact on the firm performance of organizational innovation in other aspects. Originality/value This study provides important insights into the widely recognized yet little-researched relationship between organizational innovation and firm performance and concludes that organizational innovation has a positive impact on firm performance.

Corporate and product brands: do they improve SMEs' performance?

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Agostini ◽  
Roberto Filippini ◽  
Anna Nosella
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Time Series Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of brands on small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance in the fashion industry, trying also to shed light on the different effect that corporate and product brands may produce. Design/methodology/approach – The approach uses cross-sectional time series regression to investigate the relationship between trademarks and sales, controlling for firm size. A purposive sampling technique is adopted, focusing on a sample of Italian SMEs in the fashion industry. Findings – Results indicate that trademarks do have a positive impact on SMEs' performance in the fashion industry, and in particular corporate trademarks seem to be effective in producing a sales increase, while product trademarks do not. Research limitations/implications – The main limit of this research is that no variable mediating the relationship between trademarks and performance was considered. Furthermore, the number of trademarks may not capture all the dimensions of brand. Practical implications – The most important aspect is that SME managers in the fashion industry could benefit from a trademarking strategy; in particular, investments in building a strong corporate brand, thus concentrating SMEs' effort, instead of having many different product brands, seems to create greater effect in the minds of consumers, and thus result in sales increases. Originality/value – This paper is one of first attempts to shed light on the issue regarding the association between SMEs' branding strategy and performance. Moreover, the distinction between corporate and product brands represents an innovative element in this type of study.

Farm wages and public works

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanika Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Wage Rate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Wage Growth ◽  
State Level ◽  
Random Allocation ◽  
Farm Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on farm sector wage rate. This identification strategy rests on the assumption that all districts across India would have had similar wage trends in the absence of the program. The author argues that this assumption may not be true due to non-random allocation of districts to the program’s three phases across states and different economic growth paths of the states post the implementation of NREGS. Design/methodology/approach – To control for overall macroeconomic trends, the author allows for state-level time fixed effects to capture the differences in growth trajectories across districts due to changing economic landscape in the parent-state over time. The author also estimates the expected farm sector wage growth due to the increased public work employment provision using a theoretical model. Findings – The results, contrary to the existing studies, do not find support for a significantly positive impact of NREGS treatment on private cultivation wage rate. The theoretical model also shows that an increase in public employment work days explains very little of the total growth in cultivation wage post 2004. Originality/value – This paper looks specifically at farm sector wage growth and the possible impact of NREGS on it, accounting for state specific factors in shaping farm wages. Theoretical estimates are presented to overcome econometric limitations.

Customer satisfaction with sommelier services of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Lau ◽  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Guilherme D. Pires ◽  
Carol Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The abolishment of the wine tax in Hong Kong has led to increased wine consumption and increased demand for wine-related professionals, such as sommeliers. Yet the importance of sommeliers’ value-adding performance in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants has not been examined. To address this gap, the SERVQUAL framework is adopted to examine the influence of sommeliers’ service quality (SQ) on customer satisfaction (CS) and loyalty in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The survey method is used to collect data from 302 units of the population of interest, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the links between constructs. Findings Four of the seven dimensions of sommeliers’ service quality, namely, empathy, tangibles, credibility and assurance, have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas the impact of perceived value and responsiveness on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is positive but only marginally significant. Reliability has a weak and non-significant impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications Examining a small number of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong limits generalisation of the findings to other contexts. Replication of the research in different contexts will enhance generalizability. In terms of implications, the discussion highlights the importance of sommeliers’ service performance on customers’ SQ perceptions SQ, CS and loyalty, all of which are important variables for restaurateurs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of the influence of the quality of sommelier’s SQ on CS and loyalty in upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Given the lack of attention to this service role in the literature, the study contributes theory from which further understanding can develop.

Impact of values on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-yung Leung ◽  
Chen Dongyu ◽  
Anita M.M. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Personal Integrity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Behaviours ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. Hong Kong construction students are often criticized, by both practitioners and educators, as rote learners. To improve students’ learning processes, extensive research on a variety of aspects of construction education has been conducted. However, limited attention has been paid to the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. The impact of personal value factors on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong is investigated. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted to ethically Chinese construction students in four universities in Hong Kong. A total of 820 questionnaires were distributed and 431 valid returns were collected. Findings – The survey identified six influential values (namely, personal integrity, conservatism, determination, discipline, interpersonal relationships, and achievement), and shows that students who emphasize the virtues of personal integrity, determination, and a positive attitude toward achievement are better able to handle their interpersonal relationships, which will eventually lead them to engage in deep learning. Originality/value – Work to develop appropriate value systems is thus recommended in freshmen courses, as is the use of cooperative learning approaches. Such value systems will have a long-term influence on the learning approaches of construction students.

The impact of quality framework application on patients’ satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Abu-Rumman ◽  
Ata Al Shraah ◽  
Faisal Al-Madi ◽  
Tasneem Alfalah
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Large Hospital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Value ◽  
Quality Awards ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to explore if the application of the customer results criteria contained within the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence (KAIIAE) is correlated with high levels of patient satisfaction within a large hospital based in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed methodology, supported by a pragmatist theoretical approach, a satisfaction survey was conducted with patients accessing the hospital as an in-patient across a range of specialities gathering feedback about different aspects of their care. The results were compared with a self-assessment completed by different speciality teams about the existence and maturity of customer result arrangements implemented as a result of the (KAIIAE). Findings The findings confirmed that quality awards such as the KAIIAE can effectively be applied in a health-care setting and can help provide a framework for improving patient experience and satisfaction. A correlation was found with those specialties that self-assessed themselves more highly in terms of these arrangements and the overall levels of patient satisfaction with that specialty, suggesting that the products of working towards the KAIIAE such as establishing effective patient experience monitoring arrangements and improved learning from complaints, has a positive impact on patient satisfaction. Originality/value There are limited studies which focus specifically on customer results and on the use of the KAIIAE more generally. This study therefore makes a valuable contribution in adding to the debate about the strategic value of working towards formal quality improvement models and awards in health-care settings.

Social media activity: its impact on career-related perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly W. O'Connor ◽  
Kimberly S. McDonald ◽  
Brandon T. McDaniel ◽  
Gordon B. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Career Benefits

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine individual perceptions about the impact that social media use has on career satisfaction and perceived career benefits. We examined whether informal online learning through “typical” types of social media behaviors (e.g. liking a post or messaging another user) and “networking” types of social media behaviors (e.g. endorsing another user, writing recommendations, going “live,” or looking for a job) impacted career-related perceptions. Design/methodology/approach In this study, we analyzed Amazon Mechanical Turk survey data gathered from adult participants (n = 475). We focused our inquiry specifically on two social media sites, Facebook and LinkedIn. We asked participants about their social media use and behaviors, as well as their perceptions of career satisfaction and career benefits related to social media. Findings We found that both typical and networking types of social media behaviors positively predicted the “knowing whom” career competency (defined as career relevant networks and contacts that individuals use to develop their careers) and career satisfaction. Only networking behaviors were positively associated with perceived career benefits of social media use. We further found that LinkedIn users’ career satisfaction was lower compared to non-LinkedIn users. Originality/value This study adds to the small, but growing body of career research focusing on social capital and social media. Our results suggest that informal online learning via social media may have a positive impact on employees’ career-related perceptions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document