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1 – 10 of 66Sojin 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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Li Zhao and Ha-Brookshire Jung
Grounded in Barney’s (1991) resource-based view of the firm and social network theory, and utilizing the Big Five factors as outlined by McCrae and Costa (1997), the purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in Barney’s (1991) resource-based view of the firm and social network theory, and utilizing the Big Five factors as outlined by McCrae and Costa (1997), the purpose of this paper is to investigate how founders’ personality traits impact the quality of a firm’s network relationships, its competitive advantages, and the performance of Chinese apparel new ventures.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted, employing a purposive sampling technique. Founders or members of a founding team currently operating a business in the apparel industry in China who have been in business for five years or less were chosen for this study. The survey yielded 210 usable responses, which were used for further data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was first conducted to find a better model for the measurement of each latent variable. Structural equation modeling in AMOS 24 was then used to test the study’s hypothesized model.
Findings
The most notable finding was that three of the personality traits studied – openness to experience, agreeableness, and emotional stability – had statistically significant influences on the quality of firms’ relationships with supply-chain partners, but for the traits of extraversion and conscientiousness no influence was found. Further, perceived quality of firms’ network relationships helped enhance competitive advantages and firm performance. The findings identified unique personality traits that founders must possess for successful network relationships and are critical for the performance of Chinese apparel new ventures.
Originality/value
This is one of a few studies that simultaneously evaluate the impact of the personality traits of founders and the network resources of firms on the performance of new ventures in China. Its findings may help those who are interested in starting new ventures in the Chinese apparel industry to manage the external network relationships that are critical for new venture success. Supply-chain partners could also utilize these findings to create appropriate strategies for improving relationships with Chinese apparel new ventures to cope with the critical business challenges of globalization and collaboration.
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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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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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Sarah Song Southworth and Jung Ha-Brookshire
In response to today’s marketplace in which many Asian brands are trying to expand their businesses into Western nations, this study investigated the strategic use of cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
In response to today’s marketplace in which many Asian brands are trying to expand their businesses into Western nations, this study investigated the strategic use of cultural authenticity that Asian brands may employ for their success. Although the benefits of using cultural heritage in brand strategies have been noted by past literature, the efficacies of how Asian brands can use brand logo designs to positively influence their brand success have not been studied. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to examine how Chinese brands can increase willingness to try among US consumers by establishing brand uniqueness via culturally authentic brand logo designs.
Design/methodology/approach
The data from 289 respondents via online between-subjects factorial experimental research surveys were collected using a national US population as the sample frame. The Chinese brand logos communicating Asian heritage were created by manipulating the cultural authenticity of the brand logo mark and the language of the logotype.
Findings
The results suggested that the Asian-themed brand logo is an important tool in exuding a Chinese brand’s sense of cultural authenticity to US consumers. In turn, the perception of cultural authenticity for the Chinese brand positively influenced the US consumers’ perceptions of the brand’s uniqueness, which led to greater willingness to try the brand.
Originality/value
The research provides empirical insights into how “Asian-ness” can be manifested via brand logos to convey cultural authenticity as well as to build perceived brand uniqueness and the willingness to try among US consumers.
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Geetika Jaiswal and Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
The aim of this study was to investigate how Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) enforce Code of Conduct (CoC) policies, as well as how they affect suppliers' motivation to engage…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate how Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) enforce Code of Conduct (CoC) policies, as well as how they affect suppliers' motivation to engage them in managing CoC compliance mechanisms of monitoring, enforcement and transparency in the Indian apparel industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was conducted using face-to-face surveys. Overall, 210 usable data points were collected and analyzed by use of structural equation modeling.
Findings
Study findings highlighted that hard power strategies currently used by MNEs in the apparel Indian market were primarily coercive in nature. A clear power imbalance between MNEs and suppliers from India was evident. Results suggested that when MNEs attempted to use their powerful position to advance compliance goals, higher level of CoC monitoring was required and suppliers were only extrinsically motivated. Lack of intrinsic motivation in suppliers' resulted in under-developed suppliers' transparency mechanisms. Therefore, findings suggested that MNEs should use hard powers consciously considering the long-term and unintended consequences.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a buyer-supplier power-motivation interaction model that clarifies what MNEs can do to motivate apparel suppliers to implement CoCs successfully in the apparel supply chain. This relationship has not previously been empirically tested.
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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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