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The purpose of this paper is to identify variables important to acceptance and use of advanced technologies by apparel retail employees and to recommend management strategies for effective technology integration in retail stores.

Current or past retail employees (N=71) were introduced to and given time to use three technologies – a 3D body scanner, product configurator, and social networking – in a laboratory setting using a within subjects design. A questionnaire measured participants’ perceptions of each technology in terms of usefulness, enjoyment, ease of use, task importance, technology self-efficacy – overall participant confidence in using new technology – and usage intent.

Results showed that employee's perceived usefulness of technology was a mediating influence on usage intent for all three technology types. Enjoyment also emerged as a significant mediator for 3D body scanning technology usage intent. Employees’ high self-efficacy scores corresponded to higher ratings for usefulness of each technology, suggesting that more technologically confident employees would be more likely to use the three types of technology presented in this study as part of their work.

The controlled environment of the laboratory setting may limit the generalizability of results to actual retail store settings. Future evaluations of technology usage in actual retail store environment involving both employees and customers are recommended.

This research explores the use of advanced in-store technologies from the perspective of apparel retail employees, applying the Technology Acceptance Model. It provides insight as to why employees accept and use innovative technologies that are relevant to their jobs and increase and enhance the points of contact between employees and customers. This knowledge of employee technology usage in the store environment could be used to improve job performance and job satisfaction – issues that often confront apparel retailers.

As Czech apparel and textile firms have moved towards privatization following the 1989 revolution, they have reduced their dependence on the state‐owned export organization, Centrotex, and they have introduced in‐house marketing activities, departments and strategies. Discusses the evolving marketing strategies at Jitex, a major formerly state‐owned vertical knitting firm. Jitex employs 3,000 people and produces knitted underwear, T‐shirts, jogging suits, and bathrobes. To strengthen their export and domestic market position, Jitex responded with product development, pricing, distribution and promotional strategies in the transforming economy. These included the introduction of computer‐assisted design, fashionable screen printing and appliqued knits, cotton/lycra knits and a new shrinkage finishing process. Jitex also consolidated domestic retail channels and established Western export markets. Concludes that Jitex′s size and lack of marketing structure and experience appears to be a disadvantage. However, apparel marketing strategies adopted by Jitex, such as capital investment for product development, fewer CMT (Cut, Make, Sew) orders, and identification of volume and Western customers, position Jitex for a successful future.

The purpose of this paper is to present innovative strategies to promote sustainability‐focused education, in a case study of a multi‐institutional program designed to prepare students for management positions in global apparel and footwear companies. The program is unique in focusing upon management education occurring outside the business school, extension of faculty resources through inter‐institutional collaborations, and use of the internet for course delivery.

Faculty from three institutions collaborated to develop ten 1‐credit web‐based graduate courses and delivered them inter‐institutionally. Through collaboration with global companies and other stakeholders and through field research, the faculty built a shared vision of sustainability education, identified learning outcomes, developed practical and applied learning experiences and created tools to assess learning.

Industry experts agreed that the courses and learning outcomes were important and addressed industry needs. The internet‐based platform and learning activities engaged students and encouraged development of creative strategies for addressing sustainability issues.

Students and institutions benefitted from the award‐winning program. Specific outcomes are discussed.

The strategies used in development of the program provide examples for other educational institutions for how to negotiate institutional factors in pursuit of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education.