Click here to download: BusinessChapterSustainableFashionHandbook.pdfBusiness Chapter from Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators
The papers in this chapter of Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators are relevant to all fashion business related courses, including sourcing, retail management, buying, socially responsible business and merchandising courses. Educators can explore a number of ways that businesses impact on workers, their communities and the environment with students.
Fashion businesses operate in an industry with a history of tariffs and quotas and global outsourcing, all of which affect the sustainability of the industry. Brands and retailers incorporate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their business practices, and the impact of these CSR activities on workers and the environment has varied. Few, however, are addressing the impact of decisions made by their own corporate staff. These decisions can undermine the efforts to improve working conditions and the environment. For example, demanding short lead times may mean workers endure a seven day week and 16 hour days to complete orders, despite the brand's code of conduct stating a maximum 48 hour week.
You can also download each individual teaching activity from this chapter and other materials for business related courses.
CONTENTS
Introduction
- Teaching materials
- Publications
Global sourcing decision case study
Minjeong Kim, Oregon State University, Leslie Davis-Burns, Oregon State University, Marsha A. Dickson, University of Delaware and Haesun Park, Louisiana State University, USA
Globalization and supply chain working conditions
Rachelle Jackson, STR Responsible Sourcing, USA
Student book club: The travels of a t-shirt in the global economyJoy Kozar, Kansas State University, USA
Buying power role play: How decision making in the fashion industry impacts on working conditions
Fashioning an Ethical Industry, UK
Ethical Trading Initiative, UK
What price a living wage?Doug Miller, University of Northumbria, UK
Ideas for business related assignmentChloe Mason, London College of Fashion, and Jacqueline Shorrocks, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Book summary: Social responsibility in the global apparel industryMarsha Dickson, University of Delaware, Suzanne Loker, Cornell University, and Molly Eckman, Colorado State University, USA
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