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1 – 10 of 437Joy M. Kozar and Kim Y. Hiller Connell
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between social and environmental responsibility knowledge, attitudes, and purchasing behavior.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between social and environmental responsibility knowledge, attitudes, and purchasing behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge of, and attitudes towards, issues of social responsibility, including social and environmental aspects related to the production and distribution of apparel and textile goods. Information regarding engagement in socially and environmentally responsible apparelāpurchasing behavior was also collected. Participants included students enrolled at a fourāyear institution located in the Midwestern USA.
Findings
Participants indicated being more knowledgeable about apparel environmental issues as compared to apparel social issues. Overall, participants exhibited low involvement in socially and environmentally responsible apparelāpurchasing behavior. However, both knowledge and attitudes of social and environmental issues were significant predictors of socially and environmentally responsible purchasing behavior.
Practical implications
Given the competition among apparel companies operating in the marketplace, this study lends valuable insight for firms in implementing strategic social and environmental practices and policies. The implications of this study also suggest that firms within the industry may need to respond to the barriers perceived by consumers in engaging in sustainable apparelāpurchasing behavior.
Originality/value
The findings of this study are useful in understanding the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Previous research on this topic has been inconclusive. A thorough examination of this topic is important, as noted by previous scholars, consumers have the ability to effect change in the marketplace through their purchasing behavior.
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Keywords
ā The purpose of this paper is to understand Eco-Apparel consumption behavior in consumers who care about the environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand Eco-Apparel consumption behavior in consumers who care about the environment.
Design/methodology/approach
A snowball sampling technique was used to recruit 16 participants for in-depth interviews.
Findings
Two attitude-behavior gaps existed: the gap between environmental attitude and Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior; and the gap between Eco-Apparel attitude and Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior. There were two connections: product and emotional benefits leaded to Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior; and personal cost benefits, emotional benefits, and economic considerations leaded to Eco-Apparel using and disposing behavior. These gaps and connections suggested participants have certain standards regarding Eco-Apparel consumption. First, the standard of purchasing Eco-Apparel was the same as regular apparel. Second, participants did not want to expend much effort. Third, for some participants, emotional benefits (e.g. fun, good feeling, satisfaction) were important.
Research limitations/implications
The small sample size and the snowball sampling technique limit generalization of the studyās findings.
Practical implications
These findings might be of interest to apparel manufacturers and retailers who want to re-enforce consumersā positive attitudes leading to actual purchase and consumption behaviors.
Originality/value
The current study for the first time examines the attitude-behavior gaps, proposes reasons behind these gaps, as well as connections between benefits and Eco-Apparel usage and disposal behaviors. In addition, the proposed framework is the first attempt to illustrate the relationships among gaps, connections, and consumption standards.
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Kim Y. Hiller Connell and Joy M. Kozar
The purpose of this paper is to analyze changes in undergraduate student knowledge of issues of sustainability relevant to the apparel and textiles industry. Assessment occurred…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze changes in undergraduate student knowledge of issues of sustainability relevant to the apparel and textiles industry. Assessment occurred prior to and upon completion of a course that addressed topics specific to the global production and distribution of apparel and textile goods. The study also examined modifications in students' reported apparel purchasing behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants included those in their third, fourth or fifth year of undergraduate education in the apparel and textile discipline at a higher education institution located in the Midwestern USA. All participants were enrolled in a course focused on globalization and the apparel and textile industry. Measures used to assess students' knowledge of social and environmental sustainability issues related to the industry and their apparel purchasing behavior were included in the research instrument.
Findings
Pre and post comparisons revealed significant changes in students' knowledge of social and environmental issues relevant to the apparel and textile industry. However, the study found no significant adjustments in apparel purchasing behavior. Further, a post hoc analysis revealed no significant relationship between students' knowledge and their reported purchasing behavior.
Originality/value
Limited resources exist which examine methods for educating apparel and textile students about sustainability issues, with even less research documented on assessing the effectiveness of these methods. The paper analyzes the contributions sustainabilityāfocused curriculum can make in modifying the level of knowledge and purchasing behavior of students and recommends further strategies to yield possibly even greater results.
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Aušra Rūtelionė and Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto
This study examines the relationship between green psychological benefits and green apparel purchase behavior using stimulusāorganismāresponse (S-O-R) theory and a serial multiple…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the relationship between green psychological benefits and green apparel purchase behavior using stimulusāorganismāresponse (S-O-R) theory and a serial multiple mediation model.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 250 Lithuanians using a standardized questionnaire. Convergent and discriminant validity analyses were performed to ensure validity and reliability, and variable relationships were assessed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The findings revealed utilitarian environmental benefits and warm glow benefits positively impacted Generation Z's (Gen Z's) attitudes toward green apparel. In contrast, the self-expressive benefits had no effect. In addition, attitude and purchase intention significantly predict green apparel purchase behavior. Attitudes and purchase intentions are crucial as serial mediators between green psychological benefits and green apparel purchase behavior.
Originality/value
These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in Lithuania and highlight the importance of emphasizing the psychological benefits to encourage the purchase of green apparel. Moreover, policymakers and marketers should design apparel products that appeal to Gen Z, promoting green apparel adoption. By leveraging the stimulusāorganismāresponse (S-O-R) theory, this research contributes to understanding pro-environmental behavior. It bridges the gap between attitudes, intentions and actual behavior in sustainable fashion research.
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Jennifer Ogle, Karen H. Hyllegard, Ruoh-Nan Yan and Mary A. Littrell
The purpose of this work was to identify segments of the US teen girl market based on the importance that these consumers assign to various product attributes in the apparel…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this work was to identify segments of the US teen girl market based on the importance that these consumers assign to various product attributes in the apparel purchase decision process and to characterize these consumer segments in relation to their engagement in fashion and social responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was administered to 157 teen girls (14-18 years). The questionnaire included demographic items and measures of the importance of product attributes in the apparel purchase decision, fashion involvement, materialism, charitable/social cause involvement and past socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior. A two-step cluster analysis, employing Wardās method and k-means clustering, was conducted on each participantās factor scores on the four dimensions of the product attributes scale.
Findings
Three clusters were identified: the Conventionalists (n = 50, 31.8 per cent), the Self-Satisfiers (n = 34, 21.7 per cent) and the Embracers (n = 73, 46.5 per cent). MANOVA revealed differences among the clusters related to fashion involvement, social cause involvement, materialism and past socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior.
Practical implications
Results suggest that teen girls may respond positively to trendy apparel products designed with attention to issues of the environment, labor and/or charitable/social causes, particularly if the products are perceived as esthetically appealing and provide utilitarian value.
Originality/value
This work offers unique insights into teen girlsā apparel consumption behaviors by employing a benefit segmentation approach to explore the role that issues of social responsibility may play in teen girlsā apparel purchase decisions.
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Kai‐Sen Liu and Kitty G. Dickerson
This study examines the selection criteria, country preference and people which influence Taiwanese male office workers' business apparel purchases in Taiwan. A partial model by…
Abstract
This study examines the selection criteria, country preference and people which influence Taiwanese male office workers' business apparel purchases in Taiwan. A partial model by Engel, Blackwell and Miniard (EBM) was used as the framework to indicate that the culture factor directly affects consumers' decisionāmaking process of purchase behaviour. A total of 232 questionnaires from male consumers in Taipei, Taiwan, were used for data analyses. Selection criteria, country preference and influential people were analysed by demographic variables including age, marital status, education, occupation, and yearly expenditure for business apparel purchase. Overall, the respondents ranked the selection criteria in order of descending importance as: fit, colour, price, style, quality, brand name, ease of care, fibre content and country. The order of country preference was rated first to last as: Taiwanese, Italian, US, French, British, Japanese, Hong Kong, German and Canadian. Individuals who influenced purchases were ranked as: my own opinion, wife or girlfriend, female friend, family member or other relative, male friend and salesperson. This research suggests that if foreign companies want to market to Taiwanese male consumers, they must develop appropriate strategies that help to change the domestic bias of the older males, or choose to appeal to younger males in hopes of developing longāterm brand loyalty. Additionally, the price strategies should be adjusted to be more competitive in Taiwan's marketplace. Meanwhile, fit and colour of apparel products may also need to be altered or modified in order to reach Taiwanese male consumers' demands.
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Elsa Nieves-Rodriguez, Myra Mabel Perez-Rivera, Teresa Longobardi and Jose A. Davis-Pellot
Scholars recognize that international marketing effectiveness requires adapting to cultural values, and at the same time, paradoxically, acknowledge the possibility of cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars recognize that international marketing effectiveness requires adapting to cultural values, and at the same time, paradoxically, acknowledge the possibility of cultural convergence. The purpose of this paper is to take the context of Puerto Rico as a US territory to reconcile these two propositions by analyzing culture and genderās influence on apparel purchase.
Design/methodology/approach
Via multiple regression analysis, the study considers seasonality as a factor of apparel purchase patterns, developing a consumer behavior model for the apparel industry.
Findings
Results confirm that culture influences purchase behavior, an influence moderated by gender. Additionally, they show that seasons and special occasions are strong predictors of apparel purchase patterns.
Research limitations/implications
The findings assert the claims of cultural convergence, yet preserve the notion that cultural values are reflected in patterns of consumer behavior in the case of apparel.
Practical implications
The study develops highly explanatory models indicating that Puerto Rico expenditure reflects cultural patterns of special occasions, but overshoots expectations for its US counterpart.
Originality/value
The results show that Puerto Rico has appropriated several US cultural aspects (e.g. special holidays), which are expressed differently as reflected by apparel purchase behavior, supporting the notion that Puerto Rico should be treated as an international market. The study demonstrates that cross-cultural studies may be robust in absence of available Hofstedeās dimensions for a country.
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Yatish Joshi and Anugamini Priya Srivastava
The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of customer engagement (CE) on green apparel purchase intention (GPI) among young consumers in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of customer engagement (CE) on green apparel purchase intention (GPI) among young consumers in India.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was performed on 460 young consumers. Structural equation modeling was applied to check the extent to which the considered variables predicted green purchase intention.
Findings
The results determined CE and social influence as key predictors of consumersā purchase intention toward green apparel products. Study further confirms that CE mediates the association between brand experience (BE) and purchase intention toward green apparels.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from young consumers. Further the impact of only few determinants was studied.
Practical implications
The study offers deep insights into the role of CE on consumersā GPI, which may enable managers to plan suitable marketing plans to encourage such intentions.
Social implications
The outcomes of this study can be used by managers to incorporate CE strategies in their environmental campaigns for promoting green purchasing practices. Such activities may limit the harmful effect of purchasing practices on the nature.
Originality/value
The current study is a pioneer in examining the role of CE and BE on GPI of consumers in India.
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H. Iwanow, M.G. McEachern and A. Jeffrey
To explore the extent to which consumers' ethical concerns impact upon apparel purchase decisions and highlight the value of The Gap's corporate code of conduct in meeting these…
Abstract
Purpose
To explore the extent to which consumers' ethical concerns impact upon apparel purchase decisions and highlight the value of The Gap's corporate code of conduct in meeting these concerns.
Design/methodology/approach
Faceātoāface questionnaires were conducted with Scottish consumers in February 2003. Respondents were recruited from central shopping areas using a convenience sampling method.
Findings
Despite consumers possessing a high level of awareness of ethical issues, results reveal that factors such as price, quality and style have a greater influence on their apparel purchase behaviour than their concerns about the ethical practices of the supplier.
Research limitations/implications
As the study was exploratory in nature and consisted of Scottish consumers only, generalisations of the results should be approached with some caution.
Practical implications
Provides a useful insight into The Gap's corporate code of conduct and the extent to which such codes meet the ethical concerns of consumers in relation to their apparel purchasing decisions.
Originality/value
The emergence of the ethical consumer has been much discussed, particularly in relation to global food markets (e.g. food miles, fair trade, organics, etc.). However, little agreement exists surrounding the ethics of apparel production. This study aims to contribute to this research gap by exploring consumer influences upon the apparel purchase decisionāmaking process.
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Karen H. Hyllegard, Jennifer Paff Ogle and Ruoh-Nan Yan
The purpose of this paper is to explore consumersā responses to prosocial marketing claims presented on apparel hang tags. Guided by the theory of reasoned of action, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore consumersā responses to prosocial marketing claims presented on apparel hang tags. Guided by the theory of reasoned of action, this study examined the impact of varied prosocial claims (environment, labor, cancer charity) upon college studentsā evaluations of hang tags used to promote university-branded apparel (i.e. t-shirts) as well as their attitudes and patronage intentions toward the apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
An intercept survey approach, with an experimental design component, was used to administer a written questionnaire to 262 college students. The experimental design component required participants to examine a university-branded t-shirt and to read the information provided on the product hang tag attached to the t-shirt.
Findings
In total, 60 percent of college students read apparel hang tags on a very frequent or frequent basis to gain information about brand name, care instructions, and fiber content. Further, college students evaluated apparel hang tags featuring prosocial marketing claims more positively than they evaluated hang tags with no prosocial marketing claim. In turn, these evaluations positively predicted the amount of money students were willing to pay for a university-branded t-shirt as well as their attitudes and purchase intentions toward university-branded apparel.
Research limitations/implications
Findings suggest that apparel companies engaged in socially responsible business practices may wish to develop hang tags that address both desired product attributes as well as company engagement in prosocial initiatives.
Originality/value
This study extends the understanding of the role that prosocial marketing claims play in informing consumer's attitudes and behaviors relative to apparel.
Details