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1 – 10 of over 36000Marie-Laure Djelic and Antti Ainamo
The term “fashion” triggers images of frivolous symbolic production with a particular impact on women, quite a world apart at first sight from high technology and mobile telephony…
Abstract
The term “fashion” triggers images of frivolous symbolic production with a particular impact on women, quite a world apart at first sight from high technology and mobile telephony that traditionally tend to be associated with science, rationality and masculinity. Surprisingly, we show in this paper that the field of mobile telephony has, for a number of years now, been impacted and significantly transformed by the transposition of fashion logics. We deconstruct the process of logic transposition, considering key moments and key actors, key modes and mechanisms. The comparison of multiple case studies within the mobile telephony industry also points to the limits of transposition and to varying degrees of hybridization and logic co-habitation. This process of logic transposition is, we argue, profoundly transforming the mobile telephony industry, bringing it closer, on many counts, to “cultural industries”. In the end, we draw a number of theoretical conclusions on logic transposition as an important mechanism of institutional change.
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Elizabeth van Acker and Jennifer Craik
This paper examines recent developments in the Australian fashion and clothing industry as an example of a small‐scale industry attempting to come to terms with the impact of…
Abstract
This paper examines recent developments in the Australian fashion and clothing industry as an example of a small‐scale industry attempting to come to terms with the impact of domestic industry restructuring within the rapidly changing global context of international trade. Most studies of the fashion, clothing and textile industries have concerned industries with major markets or highly specialised industries. There has been little attention to the particularities of smaller, peripheral industries and markets. The argument is that while the issues facing the Australian fashion/clothing industry are common to many industries, particular pressures have come from the contradictions between recent trends in industry policy (restructuring policies of recent governments) and in cultural policy (redefining aesthetic cultural production as industries). The paper discusses the implications of this conjoint approach to the iudustry.
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Although writings in the fashion forecasting field often mention the connections between industry and culture, it still requires further clarifications in a context of…
Abstract
Purpose
Although writings in the fashion forecasting field often mention the connections between industry and culture, it still requires further clarifications in a context of uncertainty, fast pace changes and a high volume of information. This paper aims to explore fashion as a material culture to discuss forecasting roles in different stages of dialogue between culture and industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper explores the cultural aspects of fashion to discuss multiple roles of forecasting and its implications in the fashion system from a multidimensional perspective that interlaces culture and industry in contemporary contexts through a literature review in fashion forecasting and material culture. Recent nonacademic articles were also reviewed in order to highlight fresh perspectives in the field.
Findings
The literature review demonstrates that there are two main lines of reasoning in trend forecasting. First, trend forecasting as a cultural and predictive practice focused on understanding emerging shifts in the culture and translating them to the industry. The second approach considers trend forecasting as a strategic and curatorial practice that not merely predicts consumer's behaviors and preferences but intentionally acts as a filter of all the available possibilities curating and narrowing them down to organize the market around assertive information reducing financial losses risk. This article proposes an integration between the two perspectives – from culture to industry – in a contemporary context where consumers' tastes and preferences have become increasingly diverse, and early diffusion theories can no longer explain fashion spread.
Research limitations/implications
Further investigations of contemporary and potential future trend forecasting roles and aspects could benefit from in-depth interviews and focus groups with industry experts, consumers and academics.
Practical implications
The paper intends to approximate theoretical reflections of fashion as a material culture to the current industry context.
Originality/value
It contributes to the studies of fashion forecasting, providing an overview of its development, roles and objectives, both from the industrial and material culture perspectives, which culminates in a framework that summarizes its intricate mechanisms.
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This systematic literature review presents the state of the field of fashion and crisis communication. The quantitative coding offers insight into dominant and emergent themes in…
Abstract
Purpose
This systematic literature review presents the state of the field of fashion and crisis communication. The quantitative coding offers insight into dominant and emergent themes in one of the most crisis-prone industries. This review also offers a framework for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a systematic literature review approach. 205 academic articles were gathered in total using the search term “fashion industry crisis”. Subsequently, they were quantitatively coded using the Diers-Lawson (2016) Crisis Communication Code Book.
Findings
Findings show an increase in the fashion industry crisis with clear emergent themes such as sustainability, emphasising the truly global and multidisciplinary nature of the industry. Findings also reveal a genuine lack of theoretical grounding, with over 80% of the articles coded using no crisis communication theory. The findings also suggest value co-creation ought to be a priority for this agenda moving forward, as it overlaps with emerging themes and is a practical tool and concept to support crisis prevention and management through an extension of the Stakeholder Relationship Model (SRM) Model.
Research limitations/implications
As a largely under-researched area in crisis communication, the findings present a new opportunity to explore fashion within its context and contribute. At this point, the research field is lacking, and there is room for theory testing and hypothesis building. The findings and themes from the research present a development of the original SRM model, SRM Val-Co.
Practical implications
As well as research implications, the proposed framework provides practical solutions for the future of the fashion industry.
Originality/value
As a largely under-researched area in crisis communication, the findings demonstrate a new opportunity to explore fashion within its context and contribute because there is a dearth of research and a lack of theoretical development. Therefore, the proposed framework provides practical solutions for the fashion industry’s future. The findings and themes from the research present a development of the original SRM model, SRM Val-Co.
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Harleen Sahni and Nupur Chopra
Globalization and its impacts on economies, societies and cultures has been a hot topic of research and discussion in the past few years. Recent times are witnessing the upsurge…
Abstract
Globalization and its impacts on economies, societies and cultures has been a hot topic of research and discussion in the past few years. Recent times are witnessing the upsurge of another doctrine in the international arena – the practice of isolationism, a policy majorly related to political affairs but extendable to business, sustainability, green behaviour and various other spheres.
Globalization has resulted in various kinds of disordering and reordering of business objectives and practices. Modern day consumers have new needs and lifestyle orientations. The flip side is that increased global operations have precipitated newer challenges for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But for managing globalization, isolationism is not the answer (Altman, 2007). Isolationism cannot be expected to have reciprocative effects of globalization. In fact, it may be in dispute with interests of many social stakeholders.
Responsible businesses have reoriented their CSR initiatives towards environmental and social stewardship. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the more recent strategic tools that provide a more focussed mandate to address sustainability issues emerging from increased production, consumption and disposal. In the times of vulnerabilities and disruption, there is an increasing emphasis on developing CSR as a horizontal enabler of SDGs.
Fashion & textile industry is the second most polluting industry globally. Fast fashion is having catastrophic impacts on the environment. Due to the massive size and magnitude of the global fashion & textile industry (USD 920 billion in 2018 and projected to grow to USD 1,230 billion by 2024), it becomes important to examine dimensions of CSR, in reference to SDGs in this sector. The fashion & textile industry is one of the most globally integrated. Sourcing, production, supply chain management, market development and retailing are all dependent on integration and collaboration amongst various business entities and regulatory bodies across national boundaries. Isolationism may result in disorientations in the enabling environments of this industry.
As sustainability is going to be the most important directive in coming future, the study aims to examine the cohesiveness between the current CSR initiatives of the fashion & textile sector and the prescribed SDGs. The study will further investigate if the instantaneous momentum of isolationism could cultivate multifaceted challenges for the horizontal integration of CSR in SDGs; and if yes, what will be the nature of these challenges?
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Creative industries, such as the designer fashion industry (DFI), are among the toughest in which to establish sustainable business ventures. While studies have examined how…
Abstract
Creative industries, such as the designer fashion industry (DFI), are among the toughest in which to establish sustainable business ventures. While studies have examined how networks and social capital contribute to independent DFI start-ups and why such businesses fail, these studies have been largely restricted to well-established entrepreneurial spaces like London, which differ in structure and size compared to emerging DFI entrepreneurial spaces in small economies like New Zealand. This chapter addresses this gap in the creative enterprise literature by presenting findings from an examination of 12 New Zealand fashion designers’ accounts of their responses to start-up challenges. The analysis, which paid particular attention to the relationship between social capital and reported strategic practice, revealed that the designers’ challenge profiles and strategic responses were linked to very ‘biographical’ personal networks and their personal enterprise orientations. While those designers with well-established networks started the most resilient businesses, the analysis revealed that even these designers were not necessarily particularly strategic when tapping into the social capital embedded in their networks. Overall, the findings provide further confirmation of the importance of social capital and network management during start-up. Most significantly, they demonstrate why designers need to be forward looking and employ a strategic approach to developing and accessing social capital and when making business decisions. Those who did so were more likely to have viable ventures than those who accessed social capital in order to react to unanticipated challenges.
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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.
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The sustainability of global production chains is at the centre of discussion in the past few years. One of the most polluting sectors is the fashion industry. Fashion brands…
Abstract
Purpose
The sustainability of global production chains is at the centre of discussion in the past few years. One of the most polluting sectors is the fashion industry. Fashion brands often decline responsibility, and continue misleading or exaggerated communication. This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of regulation in the fashion industry and show practices of fashion firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on documentary analysis and literature review, the article describes current civil, supranational and governmental policies aiming to enhance the three dimensions of sustainability. Connecting these to the high-growth firm theory, the authors present a case study of a rising Hungarian fashion star based on press, sustainability and balance-sheet report analysis and personal interviews.
Findings
The article highlights some problematic areas of sustainability and greenwashing and describes the different levels and targeted areas of regulation. From the entrepreneurial perspective, the difficult balancing among growth and sustainability is analyzed and illustrated by the detailed case study. The authors provide regulatory suggestions (including the creation of a supranational monitoring agency).
Practical implications
Even if the authors doubt that global fashion chains can be sustainable, they offer both managerial and policy suggestions to reach the highest level of sustainability.
Social implications
The suggested measures can contribute to the more sustainable practices and fraud reduction in the fashion industry.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the economic-regulatory approach used in this study to sustainable fashion industry is new, such as the presentation of the practices of a high-growth firm with a sustainable image.
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Digital innovation and circular business model innovation are two critical enablers of a circular economy. A wide variety of digital technologies such as blockchain, 3D printing…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital innovation and circular business model innovation are two critical enablers of a circular economy. A wide variety of digital technologies such as blockchain, 3D printing, cyber-physical systems, or big data also diverges the applications of digital technologies in circular business models. Given heterogeneous attributes of circular business models and digital technologies, the selections of digital technologies and circular business models might be highly distinctive within and between sectorial contexts. This paper examines digital circular business models in the context of the fashion industry and its multiple actors. This industry as the world’s second polluting industry requires an urgent circular economy (CE) transition with less resource consumption, lower waste emissions and a more stable economy.
Design/methodology/approach
An inductive, exploratory multiple-case study method is employed to investigate the ten cases of different sized fashion companies (i.e. large, small medium-sized firm (SME) and startup firms). The comparison across cases is conducted to understand fashion firms' distinct behaviours in adopting various digital circular economy strategies.
Findings
The paper presents three archetypes of digital-based circular business models in the fashion industry: the blockchain-based supply chain model, the service-based model and the pull demand-driven model. Besides incremental innovations, the radical business model and digital innovations as presented in the pull demand-driven model may be crucial to the fashion circular economy transition. The pull demand–driven model may shift the economy from scales to scopes, change the whole process of how the fashion items are forecasted, produced, and used, and reform consumer behaviours. The paths of adopting digital fashion circular business models are also different among large, SMEs and startup fashion firms.
Practical implications
The study provides business managers with empirical insights on how circular business models (CBMs) should be chosen according to intrinsic business capacities, technological competences and CE strategies. The emerging trends of new fashion markets (e.g. rental, subscription) and consumers' sustainable awareness should be not be neglected. Moreover, besides adopting recycling and reuse strategies, large fashion incumbents consider collaborating with other technology suppliers and startup companies to incubate more radical innovations.
Social implications
Appropriate policies and regulations should be enacted to enable the digital CE transition. Market patterns and consumer acceptances are considered highly challenging to these digital fashion models. A balanced policy on both the demand and supply sides are suggested. The one-side policy may fail CBMs that entail an upside-down collaboration of both producers and consumers. Moreover, it is perhaps time to rethink how to reduce unnecessary new demand rather than repeatedly producing and recycling.
Originality/value
The pace of CE research is lagging far behind the accelerating environmental contamination by the fashion industry. The study aims to narrow the gap between theory and practice to harmonise fashion firms' orchestration and accelerate the transition of the fashion industry towards the CE. This study examines diverse types of digital technologies in different circular business models in a homogeneous context of the fashion industry with heterogeneous firm types.
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