International Journal of Costume and Fashion

The Korean Society of Costume (한국복식학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

A Confirmatory Model for Sustainability of Apparel Brands and Its Impact on Brand Outcomes

  • Park, Hyejune (Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University)
  • Received : 2016.02.18
  • Accepted : 2016.06.23
  • Published : 2016.06.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The existing research on sustainability in the apparel industry provides no clear consensus on the definition of sustainability for the apparel brands and how sustainability of apparel brands as it is perceived by consumers can be measured. To fill this gap in research, the present study proposes and tests a confirmatory model of sustainability for apparel brands based on the three pillars of sustainability (i.e., economic, environmental, social sustainability) theorized in the Triple Bottom Line model. A survey of 754 U.S. consumers provided data for empirical testing. The results support the three-dimensional factor structure of sustainability for apparel brands and reveal that a second-order sustainability exerts a significant impact on both brand image and brand trust. The findings provide theoretical implications for researchers and practical managerial suggestions for marketers.

Keywords

References

  1. Bhaduri, G., & Ha-Brookshire, J. E. (2011). Do transparent business practices pay?: Exploration of transparency and consumer purchase intention. Clothing & Textiles Research Journal, 29(2), 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X11407910
  2. Bly S., Gwozdz, W., & Reisch, L. A. (2015). Exit from the high street: An exploratory study of sustainable fashion consumption pioneers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39, 125-135. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12159
  3. Bonini, S. (2010). How companies manage sustainability: McKinsey Global Survey results. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/sustainability/how_companies_manage_sustainability_mckinsey_global_survey_results
  4. Brenner, Y. (2014). Greenwashing: Consumers confronted by dubiously 'conscious' fashion. Aljazeera Am erica. Retrieved from http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/19/consumers-greenwashingfashion.html
  5. Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our common future: Report of the World Commission on environment and development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  6. Caniato, F., Caridi, M., Crippa, L., & Moretto, A. (2012). Environmental sustainability in fashion supply chains: An exploratory case based research. International Journal of Production Economics, 135(2), 659-670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.06.001
  7. Coleman, M. C. (2012). Is sustainability a "buzz" word? The Sustainability Generation. Retrieved from http://thesustainabilitygeneration.com/is-sustainability-a-buzz-word/
  8. Cronin, J. J., Smith, J. S., Gleim, M. R., Ramirez, E., & Martinez, J. D. (2010). Green marketing strategies: An examination of stakeholders and the opportunities they present. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 158-174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0227-0
  9. Curwen, L. G., Park, J., & Sarkar, A. K. (2012). Challenges and solutions of sustainable apparel product development: A case study of Eileen Fisher. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 31(1), 32-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X12472724
  10. Dabholkar, P. A., Thorpe, D. I., & Rentz, J. O. (1996). A measure of service quality for retail stores: Scale development and validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 24(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02893933
  11. Donaldson, T., & Preston, L. E. (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence and implications. Academy of Management Review, 29(1), 65-91.
  12. Dumaine, B. (2014). Is Apple "greener" than Starbucks? Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2014/06/24/50-best-global-green-brands-2014/
  13. Edwards, A. R. (2005). The sustainability revolution: Portrait of a paradigm shift. Gabriola, BC: New Society Publishers
  14. Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers.
  15. Erdem, T., & Swait, J. (2004). Brand credibility, brand consideration and choice. Journal of Consumer Research, 31, 191-198. https://doi.org/10.1086/383434
  16. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and Statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 382-388. https://doi.org/10.2307/3150980
  17. Fulton, K., & Lee, S. (2013). Assessing sustainable initiatives of apparel retailers on the internet. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 17(3), 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2012-0071
  18. Hair, J. F., Tatham, R. L., Anderson, R. E., & Black, W. (2010). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  19. Hanss, D., & Bohm, G. (2012). Sustianability seem from the perspective of consumers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 36, 678-687. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2011.01045.x
  20. Huang, M., & Rust, R. T. (2011). Sustainability and consumption. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 40-54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0193-6
  21. International Institute for Sustainable Development. (n.d.). The earth summit and agenda 21. Retrieved from: http://www.iisd.org/educate/learn/agenda21.doc
  22. Jӓgel, T., Keeling, K., Reppel, A., & Gruber, T. (2012). Individual values and motivational complexities in ethical clothing consumption: A means-end approach. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(3-4), 373-396. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.659280
  23. Joy, A., Sherry, J. F., Venkatesh, A., Wang, J., & Chan, R. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 273-296. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123
  24. Kang, J., & Hustvedt, G. (2014). The contribution of perceived labor transparency and perceived corporate giving to brand equity in the footwear industry. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 32(4), 296-311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X14546186
  25. Ko, E., Hwang, Y. K., & Kim, E. Y. (2013). Green marketing' functions in building corporate image in the retail setting. Journal of Business Research, 65(1), 1495-1499.
  26. Kozlowski, A., Bardecki, M., & Searcy, C. (2012). Environmental impact in the fashion industry: A life-cycle and stakeholder framework. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 45, 17-36.
  27. KPMG (2013). The KPMG survey of corporate responsibility reporting 2013. Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/corporate-responsibility/Documents/kpmgsurvey-of-corporate-responsibility-reporting-2013.pdf
  28. Lichtenstein, D. R., Drumwright, M. E., & Braig, B. M. (2004). The effect of corporate social responsibility on customer donations to corporate-supported nonprofits. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 16-32. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.4.16.42726
  29. Malovics, G., Csigene, N. N., & Kraus, S. (2008). The role of corporate social responsibility in strong sustainability. Journal of Scio-Economics, 37, 907-918.
  30. Mathwick, C., Malhotra, N., & Rigdon, E. (2001). Experiential value: Conceptualization, measurement and application in the catalog and Internet shopping environment. Journal of Retailing, 77(1), 39-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(00)00045-2
  31. McNeill, L., & Moore, R. (2015). Sustainable fashion consumption and the fast fashion conundrum: Fashionable consumers and attitudes to sustainability in clothing choice. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39, 212-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12169
  32. Minney, S. (2015). Fair trade goes beyond "made in". Business of Fashion. Retrieved from http://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/does-made-in-matter
  33. Molthan-Hill, P. (2014). The business student's guide to sustainable management: Principles and practice. UK: Greenleaf Publishing.
  34. Park, H., & Kim, Y-J. (2016). Proactive versus reactive apparel brands in sustainability: Influences on brand loyalty. Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services, 29, 114-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.013
  35. Plieth, H., Bullinger, A. C., & Hansen, E. G. (2012). Sustainable entrepreneurship in the apparel industry: The case of Manomama. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 45, 123-136.
  36. Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 62-77.
  37. Schmitt, J., & Renken, U. (2012). How to earn money by doing good!: Shared value in the apparel industry. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 45, 79-103.
  38. Shen, B., Wang, Y., Lo, C. K. Y., & Shum, M. (2012). The impact of ethical fashion on consumer purchase behavior. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 16(2), 234-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612021211222842
  39. Sheth, J. N., Sethia, N. K., & Srinivas, S. (2011). Mindful consumption: A customer-centric approach to sustainability. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0216-3
  40. Stern, S. (2007). President Clinton, Google grows, $100 oil, but no US recession-this is 2008. Financial Times, Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/eb14b4b2-b6fe-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac.html#axzz3LhELqCbr

Cited by

  1. The four faces of apparel consumers: Identifying sustainable consumers for apparel vol.8, pp.4, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2017.1362988