Sojin Jung, Gargi Bhaduri and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
This study aims to empirically examine the determinants of corporate hypocrisy and to investigate the potential negative impact on the consumer–brand relationship, specifically on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the determinants of corporate hypocrisy and to investigate the potential negative impact on the consumer–brand relationship, specifically on trust, switch and resilience intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2 (mission: no and yes) × 3 (sustainability activities: perfect, imperfect and no duty) experiment was developed. A total of 548 US consumers were randomly assigned to one of six case conditions and asked to respond to an online survey. The responses were analyzed by both two-way analysis of variance and PROCESS.
Findings
The results showed that respondents who saw clear sustainability goals in the companies’ mission statements had lower levels of corporate hypocrisy than those who did not, and when the mission statements and activities related to corporate sustainability were congruent, the respondents were less likely to elicit corporate hypocrisy than when they were not. Also, consumers showed lower levels of trust when corporate hypocrisy was present, which negatively impacted their switch and resilience intentions.
Originality/value
This study provided empirical evidence demonstrating how and to what extent corporate hypocrisy is formed by varying sustainability goals and activities. These findings urge brand managers to recognize the ripple effect created by a mismatch between their stated sustainability goals and their activities. Also, these findings could provide apparel management with guidelines for formulating and communicating companies’ sustainability goals and activities.
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Stacy H. Lee and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
Achieving sustainability is imperative for all businesses but perhaps even so more in fashion retail. As a vital group of stakeholders, employees interact with all other…
Abstract
Purpose
Achieving sustainability is imperative for all businesses but perhaps even so more in fashion retail. As a vital group of stakeholders, employees interact with all other stakeholders and play a critical role in the sustainability of an organization.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is to investigate internal and external factors that influence employees' harmful or useful behaviors based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) of morality.
Findings
The findings show that employees' perceptions of the moral responsibility of achieving corporate sustainability both as an internal corporate ethical value and as an external factor influenced their organizational citizenship behavior, as well as their propensity toward displaying counterproductive workplace behavior. Higher quality relationships with managers were found to strengthen the relationship between corporate ethical values (CEVs) and organizational citizenship behaviors.
Research limitations/implications
The objective of this study focused exclusively on the US fashion retail employees. Therefore, it is suggested that future research compares the cultural influences on employees as related to the moral responsibility of corporate sustainability.
Originality/value
This study is one of few studies which have explored the level of employees' perceived moral responsibility toward the notion of how corporate sustainability should be accomplished.
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Nannan Yang and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
Using the moral responsibility theory of corporate sustainability (MRCS) framework , the study examined Chinese textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers' moral duty positions…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the moral responsibility theory of corporate sustainability (MRCS) framework , the study examined Chinese textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers' moral duty positions, goals and structures toward sustainability, with a goal of creating a spectrum of corporate sustainability (CS) performance.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey method was employed to investigate participants' views on their companies' perceptions, goals and structures toward each of the listed sustainability-related activities.
Findings
The results showed that all participants expressed their companies have moral responsibilities toward some aspects of sustainability. Particularly, they viewed that their companies emphasize labor relations (LR) and righteous operation (RO) activities over environmental protection (EP) or public welfare involvement (PW) activities when fulfilling their sustainability responsibilities. After analyzing each response by following MRCS, 41 companies were categorized as occasionally sustainability corporations. The remaining 259 responses were categorized as consistently sustainability corporations in selective areas.
Originality/value
The study for the first time revealed the sustainability-related activities that most respondents in Chinese T&A manufacturing industry perceived as perfect or imperfect duties. Findings add knowledge to the area of corporate moral responsibility toward sustainability and show a spectrum of Chinese textile and apparel manufacturers' sustainability performance, empirically supporting MRCS.
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Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
This study investigates the relationships between knowledge management capabilities (KMC), supply chain agility (SCA) and disruption mitigation performance (DMP) in the U.S…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the relationships between knowledge management capabilities (KMC), supply chain agility (SCA) and disruption mitigation performance (DMP) in the U.S. fashion retail industry (FRI) during turbulent times, such as a pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was used to collect 320 responses from U.S. fashion retail professionals. Structural equation modeling was used for analysis.
Findings
Among the two KMCs, knowledge infrastructure capabilities act as enabling factors for knowledge process capabilities (KPC) in U.S. fashion retail settings. The KPC were found to be positively associated with SCA, and SCA was positively associated with both pre- and post-DMP of U.S. fashion retailers.
Originality/value
This study adds to the literature on KMC, SCA and DMP from the FRI context and illustrates the impact of effective organizational knowledge management for supply chain (SC) disruption mitigation through agility in a volatile market.
Practical implications
The results inform fashion retail companies on how to transform their organizational dimensions through effective management of knowledge, i.e. digital escalation and innovation, to establish an agile and sustainable SC to mitigate future market disruptions.
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Jung E. Ha‐Brookshire and Barbara Dyer
The purpose of this paper is to confirm empirically the existence of a US apparel import intermediary (AII) identity crisis, and to provide a detailed descriptive profile of AIIs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to confirm empirically the existence of a US apparel import intermediary (AII) identity crisis, and to provide a detailed descriptive profile of AIIs, differentiating them from apparel firms not primarily engaged in importing activities.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey study was conducted using a national sample of US AIIs. Based on these firms' executives' responses, a firm identity issue was analyzed and a detailed profile of these firms' business characteristics was developed, using frequency comparisons.
Findings
The study confirmed that US AIIs are currently experiencing an identity crisis, as nearly half of the study respondents misclassified themselves as apparel manufacturers or other business types, suggesting a significant distortion in US Economic Census data. The study also provided a descriptive profile of US AIIs, including geographic location and other business operation characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
Three fourths of the survey respondents were located in the state of New York. Whether most US AIIs truly reside in New York cannot be known with certainty. Generalization of the study findings to a greater population should be cautious.
Practical implications
Confirmation of an AII identity crisis suggests both aggregate and individual firm‐level impacts on import activities. The study offers a new term, “intermediary”, to replace the US Census Bureau term “wholesaler” to accurately reflect the industry's transformation.
Originality/value
The study provides the first empirical support for a US AII identity crisis. The detailed profile of US AIIs offers industry data not available prior to this study.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and performance is dependent on firm size within a small and medium‐size…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and performance is dependent on firm size within a small and medium‐size enterprise (SME) population, using non‐manufacturing, industry‐specific empirical data.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey methodology was employed, using a national sample of US apparel import intermediary (AII) SMEs. Regression analysis was performed to determine the type of the moderator variable, firm size, and to test statistical significance of the firm size effect on the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and performance measures.
Findings
The paper's results suggested that the firm size effect was present on the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and SMEs' longevity performance; however, there was no statistical significance of the firm size effect on the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and SMEs' creative contribution or profitability performance.
Research limitations/implications
Although the study results were based on randomly selected nation‐wide surveys, the findings should be viewed as industry‐ and time‐specific; generalization to a larger population, or to other firms, must be undertaken with caution.
Practical implications
These findings help to recognize and understand the heterogeneity of the relationship between firm entrepreneurship and performance even within a population of SMEs. Therefore, the results suggest that AII SME managers should put different emphasis on firm entrepreneurship, depending on specific goals and the firm size.
Originality/value
The paper shows that different approaches to SME entrepreneurship research are needed to recognize diversity within an SME population. The study also supports the view that performance measures are not necessarily correlated; thus justification of selection is critical.
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Laura McAndrews and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how apparel employees’ analytic, creative and emotional intelligence (EI) influence their job (JS) and career satisfaction (CS) from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how apparel employees’ analytic, creative and emotional intelligence (EI) influence their job (JS) and career satisfaction (CS) from the theory of EI perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was administered to apparel employees with a response of 135 participants. Regression-based conditional process analysis using bootstrapped confidence intervals was employed to analyze the study’s hypotheses.
Findings
Findings indicated that, using EI, overall participants had higher JS and, therefore, CS. However, the degree of such relationships was different for the analytic and creative groups. Specifically, when the analytic group has high EI, the direct effect of EI on JS and CS was higher than the creative group had on high EI. That is, EI seems to help the analytic group to achieve their JS and CS more directly and, respectively, while the creative group gets more indirect benefit of JS between EI and CS.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to empirically investigate the apparel work environment by assessing employees’ analytic, creative and EIs and their relationships with JS and CS. Implications for the apparel industry and academia show that apparel companies and educators may need to enhance EI for their current and future employees to help create a more positive and long-lasting career in the apparel industry.
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Kerri McBee-Black and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The goal of this study was to explore the development of the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children through the collaboration of an adaptive apparel…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study was to explore the development of the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children through the collaboration of an adaptive apparel advocate and an apparel brand.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this goal, the study used the resource advantage (RA) and first-mover advantage theory to conduct a case study investigating the lived experiences of Mindy Scheier as she created the adaptive apparel movement and collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger® to launch the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children.
Findings
The result of the case study revealed two dominant themes: (1) “I am going to educate the entire industry” and (2) “You mean no mainstream brands have done this before?” Using RA theory and first-mover advantage theory, the themes illustrated the advocate's position as a key competitive resource, how she leveraged the key competitive resources with an apparel brand, and subsequently, how the brand, using the advocate as a key competitive resource, established a first-mover advantage in the adaptive apparel market to develop the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children in the marketplace.
Originality/value
This study demonstrated how RA theory could be applied to the partnership between an advocate and an apparel firm and how the key resources acquired and utilized by the advocate support a competitive advantage within the adaptive apparel marketplace.
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Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between the social power of apparel buyers from developed countries and the psychologically defensive workplace…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between the social power of apparel buyers from developed countries and the psychologically defensive workplace behavior (PDWB) of the suppliers from a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was used to collect 205 responses from the professionals who were working in the apparel exporting companies in Bangladesh. Data were analyzed quantitatively.
Findings
The results showed that the exercise of buyers' reward and coercive power was associated with the suppliers' perfectionistic workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' coercive power was associated with the suppliers' arrogant-vindictive workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' reward power was associated with the suppliers' narcissistic workplace behavior, and coercive power was found to be statistically suggestive.
Research limitations/implications
This study purposely used convenient and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from Bangladesh only. Future researchers could focus on random sampling from different countries to improve the generalizability of the research.
Practical implications
This study will help apparel buyers to better negotiate with Bangladeshi suppliers regarding maintaining proper workplace conditions and compliances. It will also help industry professionals to better educate suppliers on how to deal with workplace pressure.
Originality/value
This study adds to the literature on social power and PDWB, specifically related to the apparel manufacturing industry, and will help illustrate the impact of workplace behavior in terms of corporate social responsibility beyond the usual measurement of the codes of conduct and compliance issues.
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Debanjan Das and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique resources that Indian apparel exporting firms claim to have and the key resources that help provide competitive advantage to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique resources that Indian apparel exporting firms claim to have and the key resources that help provide competitive advantage to these firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A web-based content analysis of texts available on “About Us” or related sections of the Indian export firms was conducted. Text data were coded and interpreted.
Findings
Physical resources seemed to be one of the most critical resources for their competitive advantages for the study samples. The ability to provide affordable and competitive prices for their products and experience in exporting were recognized as important firm resource described by the study samples.
Research limitations/implications
The study results supported the resource-based theory of the firm by showing additional key firm resources, such as ability to maintain domestic operations and to provide competitive prices that Indian apparel exporters claimed to have. Generalizability of the results is cautioned due to the content and analysis mode of the study data.
Practical implications
The results indicate that design capabilities, flexible production systems, and skilled labor are the key resources that provide Indian apparel industry the competitive advantage over its competitors. Therefore, Indian apparel exporters may want to continue to strengthen and emphasize these abilities to foreign buyers to complete in the global marketplace.
Originality/value
Given the importance of Indian apparel industry in the global market place, this study builds a knowledge base of the key resources possessed by the Indian apparel export firms.