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1 – 10 of over 28000
Article
Publication date: 19 October 2012

Eileen Davenport and Will Low

This paper critically examines the marketing of fair trade, arguing that the use of the term producer conflates a number of categories of actors, not all of whom benefit equally…

3592

Abstract

Purpose

This paper critically examines the marketing of fair trade, arguing that the use of the term producer conflates a number of categories of actors, not all of whom benefit equally. The authors contend that the two existing archetypes – the noble peasant farmer and the independent artisan – and the emerging archetype of the “empowered decision maker” serve to obscure and mask complex labour relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper draws on a wide range of literature and original fieldwork conducted by the authors to illustrate the three marketing archetypes in the fair trade value chain.

Findings

Hidden behind the three dominant archetypes used to promote fair trade is a relationship between fair trade “producers” (small farmer, craft enterprise and plantations) and permanent and temporary/casual labourers. The trickle‐down of fair trade benefits to these workers is uneven at best and falls far short of the expectation of empowerment of all “producers” that fair trade promises.

Research limitations/implications

The fair trade project must look beyond the simple archetypes to engage more deeply with labour issues in the fair trade value chain, and to re‐engage with fair trade as a development strategy through which broader and more complex forms of empowerment can be realised.

Practical implications

Fair trade standards are not a substitute for organised labour's activities. Interactions between trade unions and fair trade bodies could ensure that existing labour standards are met, and improvements in the lives of all workers can occur.

Originality/value

This paper conceptualises three fair trade mainstream marketing archetypes and suggests why and how the fair trade movement must move beyond these to ensure empowerment amongst its least well‐off stakeholders.

Details

Critical perspectives on international business, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-2043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2009

Karen Hyllegard, Jennifer Ogle and Ruoh‐Nan Yan

The purpose of this paper is to examine Gen Y consumers' responses to American Apparel's use of two advertising message strategies fair labour and sex appeal, using the theory…

7008

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine Gen Y consumers' responses to American Apparel's use of two advertising message strategies fair labour and sex appeal, using the theory of reasoned action to predict intent to patronize American Apparel and comparing the utility of the classic reasoned action model with an extended model that included variables external to the theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was administered to 425 consumers, who were randomly assigned to one of four advertisement exposure groups. Group 1 evaluated an American Apparel ad (Ad No. 1) that promoted fair labour practices. Groups 2, 3, and 4 evaluated Ad No. 1 as well as one of three additional ads that featured messages employing sex appeal of varied intensities.

Findings

Participants' attitudes toward American Apparel were more positive when they were exposed to the fair labour message, only, than when they were exposed to the fair labour message in conjunction with one of the three sex appeal messages. In the classic reasoned action models, intent to patronize American Apparel was consistently predicted by attitude toward the retailer. Extending the models increased the explained variance for Groups 1, 2, and 3, with several variables adding predictive utility.

Research limitations/implications

A fair labour message may contribute to positive evaluations of apparel advertisements and may build positive attitudes toward apparel retailers. Thus, when appropriate, apparel retailers might consider using a fair labour message strategy, rather than a sex appeal message strategy.

Originality/value

The study explores consumer responses to two distinct advertising message strategies not often used simultaneously by a single company within the contemporary marketplace and examines the influence of these responses and other variables on patronage intention.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2008

Haesun Park and Kathleen Rees

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of motivational factors (suppliers and workers are important stakeholders and corporate image concern) on fair labor management…

1459

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of motivational factors (suppliers and workers are important stakeholders and corporate image concern) on fair labor management (FLM) and the mediating role of top‐management commitment in the relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Responses from sourcing managers of US clothing and footwear companies were gathered through a mail survey and analyzed using a mediated regression analysis and a structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

Both the norms in which suppliers and workers are important stakeholders and concern regarding corporate image were significantly related to FLM. The relationship between corporate image concern and FLM was mediated by top‐management commitment and that the relationship between the importance of suppliers and their workers as stakeholders and FLM was partially mediated by top‐management commitment.

Practical implications

Results suggest that changes in the norm, where suppliers and workers are accepted as important stakeholders of the firm, have a direct influence on FLM and that top‐management is requisite in executing FLM orientation and actions in the firms as a response to changing norms and growing pressure in the society regarding labor issues.

Originality/value

Organizational condition for the two commonly cited drivers of FLM to work was discovered.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2014

Karen H. Hyllegard, Jennifer Paff Ogle and Ruoh-Nan Yan

The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers’ responses to prosocial marketing claims presented on apparel hang tags. Guided by the theory of reasoned of action, this study…

1468

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers’ 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 students’ 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

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2013

Eileen Davenport and William Low

There is a growing academic literature exploring the fair trade movement but, to date, there has been little explicit discussion of accountability within the movement. This paper…

1525

Abstract

Purpose

There is a growing academic literature exploring the fair trade movement but, to date, there has been little explicit discussion of accountability within the movement. This paper aims to cast the development of the fair trade movement within a shift from trust‐based relationships to standards‐based systems. The authors particularly aim to focus on the dominance of an external accountability approach being used for Fair Trade Labelling Organization International (FLO) certified products versus an internal accountability approach being adopted through organizational self‐assessment of World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) members.

Design/methodology/approach

While this is predominantly a conceptual paper, the authors draw on primary research with northern and southern fair trade organizations (FTOs). Five southern FTOs were interviewed along with three northern FTOs.

Findings

The paper illustrates the conflict that Power expressed about trust increasingly being placed in formalized “rituals” of auditing rather than in organizations. Standards‐based certification has played a crucial role in mainstreaming fair trade food which reduces the trust relationship to a label and relies on market‐based mechanisms of “ethical consumerism” to signal (dis)content with the operations of the certification system. By contrast, organizational self‐assessment under development by WFTO, which has proven popular amongst southern FTOs, fitting their organisational culture(s) and contributing to organisational learning and democracy, creates greater accountability to internal stakeholders such as producers.

Originality/value

This paper draws direct comparisons between the FLO system of certification of products and the WFTO process of self‐assessment of organizations. It demonstrates that the WFTO system builds on the movement's tradition of democracy and trust. Producers, southern FTOs, and northern FTOs must demonstrate their democratic principles throughout the supply chain up to consumers. Conversely the FLO system governs the products themselves and largely leaves the participants, other than producer groups, free of demands for corporate social responsibility and organizational learning.

Details

Social Enterprise Journal, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-8614

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 April 2020

Aalok Kumar and Ramesh A

The balancing of sustainability dimensions is the prime agenda of supply chain organisations. The supply chain sustainability greatly influenced by its freight transport…

1093

Abstract

Purpose

The balancing of sustainability dimensions is the prime agenda of supply chain organisations. The supply chain sustainability greatly influenced by its freight transport activities. Most of the previous work discussed the economic and environmental sustainability of freight transport industry; although the social sustainability (SS) dimension paid less attention to researchers and practitioners of emerging economies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of SS indicators in the freight transport industry. The SS assessment framework is validated with the Indian freight transport industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed framework considers four SS dimension and 25 indicators. The SS indicators’ importance varies with the individual company's prospect. Therefore the proposed framework is used in multi-company perspective as well as in industry perspective to present more realistic results. The importance weight of SS dimension and indicators are computed with a novel multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, i.e. fuzzy best–worst method (FBWM).

Findings

The prioritisation of SS indicators in each company perspective is compared with an industry perspective. The contribution to community health and education program is most valuable indicator followed by the prevention of child and forced labour. The model robustness is tested through sensitivity analysis and reported that less variation in indicators’ ranking.

Originality/value

To authors best of knowledge, this is the first study to highlight the importance of SS indicators in the freight transport industry. This study contributes to the sustainability assessment literature by providing a nuanced perception of the SS indicators and put forward managerial implications for improving the SS of the freight transport industry. The proposed framework could be treated as a benchmark for other developing nation's freight transport industry.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2001

Elizabeth Lusinsky and Brian H. Kleiner

Provides a historical perspective on the US Fair Labor Standards Act. Discusses how to ascertain exemption status and outlines exempt job classification. Gives case studies as…

327

Abstract

Provides a historical perspective on the US Fair Labor Standards Act. Discusses how to ascertain exemption status and outlines exempt job classification. Gives case studies as examples. Considers the implications for the future of exempt and non‐exempt status.

Details

Managerial Law, vol. 43 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Joanne Nicola Sneddon, Geoffrey N. Soutar and Julie Ann Lee

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentially conflicting positive and negative ethical aspects of wool apparel and the relative importance of these ethical attributes…

3031

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentially conflicting positive and negative ethical aspects of wool apparel and the relative importance of these ethical attributes when consumers in the USA make wool apparel purchase decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-stage mixed-method approach was used to explore the positive and negative ethical aspects of wool apparel and the relative importance of these ethical attributes in wool apparel purchase decisions. First, focus groups were used to identify ethical attributes that were important to wool apparel consumers in the USA. In the second stage, a conjoint survey was used to estimate the relative importance of the ethical and product attributes that were identified in the focus groups and the trade-offs made within this attribute set.

Findings

Seven themes of ethical issues related to wool apparel consumption emerged during the focus groups: animal welfare, workers’ rights, environmental impact, extrinsic attributes, natural wool, country of origin (COO) and fair trade. In the conjoint analysis respondents identified COO as having the highest relative importance, followed by price, brand, ethical attributes and style. A cluster analysis of survey responses suggested there were two clusters that differed in the importance they attached to ethical labelling issues in wool apparel. The first cluster, did not place a great deal of importance on the ethical labelling issues included in the study, however, the second smaller cluster, ethical issues, specifically the humane treatment of sheep, were considered most important.

Originality/value

The study identified wool apparel attributes that were valued by American consumers. That product attributes were more important than ethical attributes suggests a focus on ethical credentials alone may not be effective in wool marketing. Wool apparel was more likely to be purchased by American consumers if they were made in the USA, reasonably priced, made by an independent brand, from humanely produced wool and in a comfortable style.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2004

Yun Chu, Jianyu Ma and Walter E. Greene

Recognizing the difference of labor laws between the U.S. and China, the U.S. parties need to recognize the differences when negotiating and investing in China, because some of…

Abstract

Recognizing the difference of labor laws between the U.S. and China, the U.S. parties need to recognize the differences when negotiating and investing in China, because some of the clauses can be settled when signing contracts or agreements. For China’s part, minimum wages are crucial for them to remember when they do business in the U.S.; the good thing is that they do not have to pay holidays that are different from China. Overall, the benefits are tremendous when the differences are recognized in advance of investments, contracts or agreement negotiations. Recognizing the differences between the two labor acts will avoid unnecessary cost and conflicts.

Details

International Journal of Commerce and Management, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1056-9219

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 November 2020

Faisal Talib, Saheim K Josaiman and Mohd. Nishat Faisal

Typically, adoption of sustainability in organizations are often done in an unstructured way without the consideration of other partners in the supply chain. The purpose of this…

Abstract

Purpose

Typically, adoption of sustainability in organizations are often done in an unstructured way without the consideration of other partners in the supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a coherent plan to improve sustainability in the supply chains utilizing ISO standards for environment and social responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on literature on ISO14000 and ISO26000 to derive a set of variables applicable to supply chains, which are then prioritized for real organizations utilizing analytic hierarchy process.

Findings

The findings highlight that not all the variables of environmental, social and economic responsibility are equally important. Besides, the work reported in this paper justifies the application of multi-criteria decision-making (AHP) to prioritize elements of sustainability in context supply chains. The suggested method is illustrated using inputs from large manufacturing companies in Qatar.

Practical implications

ISO14000 and ISO26000 are well known standards; however, there was no effort to integrate these standards to improve sustainability in supply chains. The suggested methodology provides invaluable help to the managers to implement sustainability in a coherent manner across the supply chain.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the extant literature by proposing a new methodology based on the integration of three-approaches: Analytic Hierarchy Process, ISO14000 and ISO26000 systems.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 38 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

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