Kirsi Laitala and Ingun Grimstad Klepp
Norwegian consumers know little about eco-labeled garments as almost none are available on the market. Therefore, consumers who want to make environmentally sound choices have to…
Abstract
Norwegian consumers know little about eco-labeled garments as almost none are available on the market. Therefore, consumers who want to make environmentally sound choices have to act based on other information. This article discusses the environmental and ethical perceptions of Norwegian consumers that are related to fiber content, maintenance, size, and country of origin labels. The analysis draws conclusions from a research project where in-depth interviews were used to collect qualitative data on consumer attitudes, knowledge, and habits. The results show that several different types of labels on textiles can be connected with environmental impact, both directly and indirectly. Sometimes wrong assumptions are made, such as when all natural fibers are considered to be always more sustainable than synthetics. The country of origin label is even used to evaluate the production conditions or quality. The care label affects selection of laundry method and has great environmental consequences, yet it is not usually perceived to include environmental information. Ill-fitting clothing is an important disposal reason, and many respondents wish for consequent size labeling and more information on the clothing fit.
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Elin Kubberød, Viktorija Viciunaite and Siw M. Fosstenløkken
The purpose of this paper is to address the recent calls for an in-depth investigation of the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) practices of small businesses and a further conceptual…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the recent calls for an in-depth investigation of the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) practices of small businesses and a further conceptual development of EM under market uncertainty. Drawing on the EM mix (i.e. person, purpose, practices and process), the authors aim to conceptualise EM under market uncertainty through principles of effectual networking.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an in-depth case study of an owner-manager who networks with many different stakeholders to create new markets for wool in the Norwegian wool industry.
Findings
Situated within the creative and craft-based industries, the study demonstrates that market uncertainty can be reduced through effectual networking to produce highly beneficial outcomes for small businesses. The findings give rise to a new model of the EM mix under uncertainty, emphasising the role of the owner-manager (i.e. person) and the purpose as the outset and driving force of the EM process. These two elements constitute the initial means in the means-driven EM process and the foundation for subsequent EM practices. The person, purpose and practices interact iteratively, and focal effectual networking principles guide EM practices.
Originality/value
This paper expands and contextualises existing theories on EM under market uncertainty by introducing the effectual networking perspective. This represents a hitherto under-investigated area of research in small business marketing.