Geetika Jaiswal, Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer and Devona L. Dixon
This study aims to promote sustainability-based education in fashion design and merchandising program to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and attitude about sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to promote sustainability-based education in fashion design and merchandising program to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and attitude about sustainability development, organizational responsibility and personal responsibility from the cotton industry perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
To conduct this study, three learning components were considered: learning from experts, learning by doing and outreach activity. Sustainability-related topics were strategically incorporated in different courses for one year; project-based learning approach was adopted; and pre–posttest survey was conducted to study the impact of sustainability-based education on student learning outcome. Rand’s principles-attributes matrix was applied to analyze the impact of sustainable education on student learning outcomes.
Findings
The results of course projects indicated enhanced student’s abilities on using use different types of cotton materials in product development, creative use of cotton in visual merchandising and development of business plans focused on sustainability. The two-group mean comparisons showed a significant positive impact on students’ knowledge in cotton and sustainability, followed by students’ skills and attitudes.
Originality/value
In response to the lack of systematic approach to incorporate sustainability-related topics in textile and apparel design discipline, this study offered an opportunity to involve approximately 110 students in various sustainability-based teaching and learning projects.
Details
Keywords
Geetika Jaiswal and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The aim of this study was to investigate how Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) enforce Code of Conduct (CoC) policies, as well as how they affect suppliers' motivation to engage…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate how Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) enforce Code of Conduct (CoC) policies, as well as how they affect suppliers' motivation to engage them in managing CoC compliance mechanisms of monitoring, enforcement and transparency in the Indian apparel industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was conducted using face-to-face surveys. Overall, 210 usable data points were collected and analyzed by use of structural equation modeling.
Findings
Study findings highlighted that hard power strategies currently used by MNEs in the apparel Indian market were primarily coercive in nature. A clear power imbalance between MNEs and suppliers from India was evident. Results suggested that when MNEs attempted to use their powerful position to advance compliance goals, higher level of CoC monitoring was required and suppliers were only extrinsically motivated. Lack of intrinsic motivation in suppliers' resulted in under-developed suppliers' transparency mechanisms. Therefore, findings suggested that MNEs should use hard powers consciously considering the long-term and unintended consequences.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a buyer-supplier power-motivation interaction model that clarifies what MNEs can do to motivate apparel suppliers to implement CoCs successfully in the apparel supply chain. This relationship has not previously been empirically tested.