The fast fashion industry is valued as one of the largest industries globally, with its enormous production significantly contributing to environmental injustice. This study investigates the role of fast fashion organisations in addressing consumer demands for sustainability, focusing on the H&M Group as a case study. Despite the organisational efforts towards sustainable practices, consumers require more honesty and transparency in the way fast fashion organisations communicate their actions.The study begins with an introduction to the environmental impact of the fashion industry and the research problem, followed by introducing the H&M Group as a single case study. The literature review is used to provide an overview of existing research and contextual information followed by a conceptual framework incorporating CSR, the triple bottom line, the concept of sustainability, and corporate sustainability. The study draws on the social constructivist methodology with an abductive approach, utilising both quantitative and qualitative data.This research uses the H&M Group’s sustainability reports from 2020 to 2022, analysing how the organisation communicates and constructs its sustainability practices. Additionally, a survey was conducted to capture consumer perspectives on the sustainability efforts of fast fashion organisations.The case study is further detailed before describing the methods of data collection and analysis, including discourse and thematic analysis. The data sets, comprising H&M Group’s sustainability reports and the survey results, are furthermore presented. The findings reveal a significant paradox and complexity for both consumers and organisations. Consumers distrust fashion organisations’ sustainability claims yet continue to purchase low-cost products. The fast fashion industry faces the challenging task of balancing profitability with genuine sustainability, while mainly highlighting possible future actions.

<p>In recent years, the successful expansions of Swedish fashion companies have mainly relied on their ability to turn fashion into brands. However, when companies grow it seems to be difficult to maintain the original brand identity as well as to establish a unique brand image in the minds of the consumers. With regard to this matter the purpose of our thesis was to investigate the brand image of Acne Jeans. Our ambition was to examine to what extent the brand image coincided with the brand identity and if brand associations differed between different consumer segments. In order to fulfil our purpose, we have conducted a questionnaire study of a sample of 130 students at Stockholm University. The findings of our study show that the brand image of Acne Jeans did not coincide with the brand identity regarding the aspects of individuality and innovativeness. We further concluded that there were several differences between the associations of those in possession of Acne apparel and those who did not own any Acne items. Finally, the associations of early adopters were investigated. The result indicated that the brand associations in this group did not deviate from the general opinion of the total sample.</p>

In recent years the fashion industry has experienced a high frequency of famous Creative Directors departing the companies for unknown reasons. The same problem does not seem to occur in the Scandinavian fashion industry. This study’s purpose is to explore why Scandinavia does not experience the same problem, contribute a deeper understanding of the leader-designer relationship in the Swedish fashion industry, and to examine how the Scandinavian Cooperative Advantage is applicable in the Swedish fashion industry. Three case studies were conducted at the Swedish fashion companies TRIWA, Baron and Weriseg where both leaders and designers were interviewed. The findings showed that the leaders view their designers as an essential part of the organisation but how they are prioritised depend on the situation. Further more, this study indicates that all of the studied companies have a stakeholder approach, uses a value creating strategy based on cooperation with their stakeholders, are aligned with a typical Swedish organizational culture, and has a Swedish Management Style. Thus this study indicates that the notion of Scandinavian Cooperative Advantage is applicable at the Swedish fashion industry and that this might be a factor for their success.

Background The growth of global e-commerce along with technology and information adoption has driven the international expansions of retail firms. Even though e-commerce companies (ECCs) are changing the way businesses operate and generally have fewer physical barriers to new markets, they still face numerous challenges while internationalizing. Dynamic capabilities are found to have an impact on the internationalization process of ECCs, where exploitative and explorative dynamic capabilities will be the focus of this study. This topic is particularly relevant for the fashion industry since the industry has the characteristics of being highly dynamic, global and complex. Therefore, this paper will focus on the internationalization process of ECCs in the fashion industry. Purpose Due to limited research regarding the internationalization process of ECCs, the purpose of this study is to seek a deeper understanding concerning the internationalization process of fashion ECCs. In particular, in what way exploitative and explorative dynamic capabilities affect the internationalization process of fashion ECCs and how they use these capabilities. Method This is a qualitative study with an abductive research approach. Furthermore, the empirical data was collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews with six international fashion ECCs. Conclusion One main conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that all the ECCs use both exploitative and explorative dynamic capabilities in their internationalization, and hence, ambidexterity is achieved. Moreover, language, logistics and payment method are three major factors used in both activities and could be an explanation for how fashion ECCs use their exploitative and explorative dynamic capabilities when internationalizing.

Purpose − Previous research has shown that Swedish Small-and-Medium enterprises (SMEs) have a relatively low level of digital maturity when it comes to export, thus limiting growth potential in international markets. This study aims at investigating this phenomenon with a focus on e-commerce, as it is among the top digital channels that have a large impact on international expansion. Factors influencing the usage of e-commerce channels within internationalisation by Swedish SME fashion retailers will be investigated.  Design/methodology/approach −The overall methodology used in this study is qualitative with an abductive mode of reasoning. The study follows a case study approach using multiple cases with interviews as the primary data source. Based on literature review, thirteen factors are identified to have a certain influence on the usage of e-commerce within internationalisation. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with seven cases to examine the identified factors from literature and explore new factors if possible. Findings − The results present eleven critical factors including eight identified factors from the literature together with five newly discovered factors. They are Relative Advantage, Perceived Usefulness, Compatibility, Costs, Customer Reachability, Branding and Advertising, Time-efficiency, Technology Competence &amp; Configuration, Organisation Size, Competitive Pressure, and Main Product Features. These critical factors have various effects depending on companies’ business operations and the degree of online internationalisation. The results further confirmed that the Uppsala Model is still applicable in the context of Swedish SME fashion retailers internationalising with e-commerce.  Value − This study has contributed to the existing research on e-commerce and internationalisation in terms of the influence on firms’ e-commerce usage within internationalisation in the post-adoption phase, and under the specific business context of Swedish small-and-medium sized fashion retailers. Based on the conclusion, practical implications are offered for similar companies in this industry

O estudo aborda a utilização das redes sociais como plataforma de comunicação das micro e pequenas empresas de confecção. A pesquisa se torna relevante por discutir temas importantes na atualidade: comunicação de marketing por meio de redes sociais e micro e pequenas empresas de confecção, justificando-se ainda, pela dificuldade que as micro e pequenas empresas apresentam de realizar ações de comunicação de marketing devido ao elevado investimento que as mídias tradicionais exigem. A proposta do estudo é identificar como as micro e pequenas empresas de moda estão utilizando as redes sociais para a comunicação com seu público consumidor. Para atender a esse objetivo foram definidos os seguintes passos: (a) Identificar um panorama geral da utilização das redes sociais pelas micro e pequenas empresas de moda; (b) Mapear as ações desenvolvidas no Facebook por essas empresas; (c) Verificar a resposta dos usuários em relação às publicações das empresas;(d) Levantar as postagens dos usuários nas fan pages das empresas; (e) Identificar o potencial de propagação das mensagens. A pesquisa realizada foi de caráter exploratório, qualitativo e descritivo. Os dados foram coletados em dois momentos, uma observação não participante das páginas das empresas selecionadas e a aplicação de questionário nos gestores destas. A análise dos dados permitiu observar que embora a literatura apresente como vantagem da utilização das redes sociais o contato mais próximo com o consumidor facilitando assim o diálogo com baixo investimento, na realidade o que se observa são publicações com linguagem informal concentradas na divulgação dos produtos, tornando a fan page uma plataforma que se assemelha a um catálogo virtual, possibilitando inclusive a comercialização. A interação do usuário com a página concentra-se nas curtidas. Quando estes comentam ou publicam espontaneamente costumam abordar assuntos como: interesse em compra, elogio a marca e reclamações. / The research discusses the use of social networks as a communication platform for micro and small enterprises of the textile industry. The search is relevant to discuss todays important subjects: marketing communication through social networks in micro and small enterprises of the textile industry, justifying for the difficulty of micro and small enterprises to do actions of marketing because of the high investments that traditional medias require. The researchs proposal is identify how fashion micro and small enterprises are using social networks to communication with its customers. To achieve this target were defined the following steps: a) Identify an overview of the use of social networks by fashion micro and small enterprises; b) Map the developed actions taken by these companies on Facebook; c) Check the response from users regarding companies publication; d) Collect the posting by users on companies wall on Facebook; e) Identify the potential for programing the messages. This research had an exploratory, qualitative and descriptive character. The data base was collect in two moments, a non-participant observation of the social networks on companies pages and the application of a questionnaire with the companies managers. The data analyses allowed observing that although the literature presents as an advantage using social networks as close contact with the consumer, facilitating dialogue with low investment, actually what its observed is informal publications with informal language concentrated in disclosure of the products, making the fan page similar to a virtual catalog, sometimes even enabling the commercialization. The user interaction focuses on likes. When the user freely writes a comment ou something on the companies wall often approaches issues of interest, such as: buying, praise the brand and complaints.

Este trabalho procura localizar as práticas de inovação no interior das redes sociais que constituem sistemas produtivos e mercados de moda. Encontramos a coordenação complexa de uma ampla rede produtiva da indústria têxtil e do vestuário, que rompia com a lógica do produto rotineiro das décadas anteriores, num contexto de estagnação da atividade econômica nacional e da pressão competitiva crescente do mercado externo. Localizamos nas redes sociais que articulam os diversos segmentos da indústria do vestuário e da moda as fontes do dinamismo e da inovação: a) os processos de inovação se realizam no interior das empresas, mas são gerados a partir das relações que estas mantêm com múltiplos atores; b) a mobilização em torno das semanas de moda (São Paulo Fashion Week) propicia o contato entre estes atores e estabelece novos meios de coordenação de todo sistema produtivo do vestuário e do têxtil; c) redes desta natureza só se constituem e se reproduzem na diversidade sócio-econômica típica do ambiente metropolitano; d) segmentos produtivos inovadores se desenvolvem com base em laços fracos, que geram pontes entre mundos produtivos e culturais portadores de conhecimentos e informações heterogêneos; e) os laços fortes foram, entretanto decisivos na reestruturação da indústria em São Paulo, ao longo da década de 90 e deram sobrevida aos fabricantes de moda. / This research situates the innovation process of the fashion industry and the fashion market embedded in social networks. We have found a complex coordination process of a wide network of textile and garment producers, amid a difficult transition from mass production to other forms of organization, during the economic stagnation of the 80s and early 90s. Social networks were the main source of the innovation turn and the ability to produce fashionable goods. Our conclusions are: a) Innovation are produced within firms, but are too generated in the multiple relationships they maintain with external actors. b) The Fashion Weeks develop and intensify the contact between these actors and estabilish new modes of coordination. c) Networks of this kind develop within metropolitan environments. d) These innovative production systems are embedded in weak social ties that bridge different economic and cultural worlds. e) Strong ties were nevertheless important in the adjustment process of the industry in São Paulo during the 90s.

This paper investigates how professionals within the Italian fashion industrycollaborate and communicate to develop the nation brand Made in Italy. Theproblem of brand confusion, which occurs when the different parties within anation does not cooperate towards a distinct brand message, is analysed.Based on a theoretical review of previous studies in nation branding,interviews and observations in the area of Florence and a desk study ofscientific papers, articles and literature, the model “The Nation Brand Tree”was developed. This was applied to the case of Made in Italy. Conclusions: Thecertification “100% Made in Italy” was proven to be an ineffective solution ofsaving the Italian heritage of craftsmanship and quality. The Italian nationbrand is currently being preserved by private investors, but there is a need forincreased governmental support to create a stronger and unified nation brandfor Made in Italy. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

When the competition is getting stronger and companies must work harder to find new markets, new products and create new needs to reach growth, it appears strange that they overlook an obvious target segment right in front of their eyes. For some years ago, marketers of fashion brands feared that older women would wear their clothes, because it gave bad promotion for the young economically viable target group. Today, older women have difficulties finding clothes with right fit, style and personal taste. They would gratefully accept a brand, they felt were aimed for them. The purpose of this study is to give new ideas to companies in the fashion industry, how to reach this target group, but also be a contributing reason for older women to see the market opening for them. Through interviews with older women and industry specialists and questionnaires, interesting facts are gathered how fashion companies create strategies successfully. It is time to seriously notice the target group and respect them, as a group with great purchasing power. The company first to succeed can expect good returns, loyal customers and perhaps competitive immunity. In the nearest future when the baby boomers are about to retire, there are all reasons to comply with their needs. They have plenty of money they are planning to spend, active lives were they need clothes for different occasions and they will fill their lives with experiences they had no time to do before. With right strategies comes growth – so go out and catch them! / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen magister

Submitted by PPG Direito (ppgdir@pucrs.br) on 2018-08-17T12:11:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LEILIANE_ PIOVESAN_I VIDALETTI _DIS.pdf: 1777275 bytes, checksum: c43e28a1f2bbf7021fec7c65e80f7790 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sheila Dias (sheila.dias@pucrs.br) on 2018-08-20T12:12:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 LEILIANE_ PIOVESAN_I VIDALETTI _DIS.pdf: 1777275 bytes, checksum: c43e28a1f2bbf7021fec7c65e80f7790 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T12:27:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LEILIANE_ PIOVESAN_I VIDALETTI _DIS.pdf: 1777275 bytes, checksum: c43e28a1f2bbf7021fec7c65e80f7790 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-28 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico - CNPq / This research approaches the responsibility over slave labour in the productive chains of the Brazilian textile sector. It examines conceptual, historic, and normative aspects related to outsourcing in Brazil, since productive chains reflect a type of outsourcing classified as external (externalized) in production, in which all of production is projected outside of the company. Following this, it analyses the way in which contemporary slavery is exteriorized in productive chains in the fashion industry in a context of globalized capitalism. Finally, using concepts connected to the a-contractual theories of employment, as well as aspects connected to the integrative subordination and formation of economic groups of labour, it fundaments the solidary responsibility shared by all companies that integrate the productive chains in the fashion industry when considering the hypothesis of flagrant slave labour in Brazilian territory. / A presente pesquisa trata da tem?tica da responsabilidade trabalhista por explora??o de m?o de obra em condi??es an?logas a de escravo nas cadeias produtivas do setor t?xtil brasileiro. Para tanto, examina aspectos conceituais, hist?ricos e normativos relacionados ? terceiriza??o no Brasil, uma vez que as cadeias produtivas refletem uma modalidade de terceirizar classificada como externa ou externaliza??o da produ??o, que se d? mediante a proje??o para fora da empresa de praticamente todas as etapas produtivas. Na sequ?ncia, analisa a forma mediante a qual a escravid?o contempor?nea se exterioriza, no cen?rio do mundo capitalista globalizado, notadamente nas cadeias produtivas da ind?stria da moda. Ao final, partindo do resgate de conceitos ligados ?s Teorias Acontratualistas da rela??o de emprego, bem como de aspectos relacionados ? subordina??o integrativa e ? figura dos grupos econ?micos trabalhistas, fundamenta a responsabilidade solid?ria de todas as empresas integrantes das cadeias produtivas da ind?stria da moda nas hip?teses de flagrante de trabalho escravo em territ?rio nacional.