Background: Due to the growth of green markets, the phenomenon of greenwashing arises. This leads to consumers experiencing feelings of betrayal and having trust problems with the brand using this misleading tactic. Nevertheless, there is also literature indicating that some customers ignore this and do not alter their purchasing behavior by continuing to buy from these misbehaving brands. This can be explained by moral decoupling, which allows customers to separate their judgements of morality from their judgements of the company's performance. In addition to this, three further variables were analyzed, to comprehend this concept better. Purpose: This study's goal was to retest relationships established in previous research, concretely moral decoupling linked with brand identity fusion, purchase intention and the regulatory focus theory in the context of a greenwashing infraction. By retesting and further proving these, this study’s contribution would have been to propose the expansion of the moral decoupling model with the mentioned variables. Also, this study would expand the existing literature on causes of customer behavioral responses and bring light and study further the detrimental practice of greenwashing.  Method: The foundation of this study was previous literature, which helped construct three hypotheses that were tested via an online questionnaire that has 122 usable responses. In summary, this study follows a deductive approach using quantitative methods to fulfill the purpose of this explanatory, positivist research.  Conclusion: There was not enough evidence to support hypotheses 1 and 2. These stated that regulatory focus influences moral decoupling in a greenwashing context, promotion focus negatively and prevention positively, and that brand identity fusion influences moral decoupling positively in a greenwashing context. The third hypothesis stating that moral decoupling positively influences purchase intention was only proven in the English survey. The overall results contradict the findings of the literature this study is based on, meaning that future research is needed to reconcile these differences.

This research aims to fill an important gap in focusing on why individuals are able to take part in and/or support activities that have effects on economic, environmental, and social dimensions that are not consistent with their sense of right and wrong. The research focuses on the relationship between supply chain management and moral disengagement, and how this relation affects social responsibility. After observing individuals avoiding responsibility for misconduct an explanatory concept, moral decoupling, was proposed. Moral decoupling considers moral responsibility a flow in the supply chain. Moral decoupling occurs when the flow is restricted. If moral decoupling occurs at an identifiable point it is called a moral decoupling point. The concept was developed by identifying and linking specific supply chain activities and structures with moral disengagement, a theory that explains the deactivation of self regulation. Moral decoupling was able to suggest how to reduce moral disengagement and improve social responsibility. To validate the suggestions a literature review on social responsibility was conducted and identified sixteen elements of social responsibility in supply chain management. The suggestions based on moral disengagement were compared with elements of social responsibility and a large overlap was found. Lastly, suggestions on how to reduce moral disengagement and map moral responsibility in a supply network are proposed, links between elements of social responsibility are presented, and moral coupling is added as a complementary term to moral decoupling. A model explaining the relationship between ethical guidelines, moral responsibility, moral decoupling, and social responsibility is proposed. In relation to current theoretical knowledge the thesis has contributed to the field of socially responsible supply chain management with an application of a new theoretical lens that gives one explanation as to why identifed elements of social responsibility are important. The understanding of social responsibility has reached an increased explanatory depth following the identification of moral disengagement as a generative mechanism, subject to conditions in supply chain management. The research has also applied moral disengagement in a context not identified in earlier research, and shows some of the complexity of applying it to a real-world global context. The elements of social responsibility and moral (de)coupling help practitioners identify what they should focus on to increase social responsibility and also offer an explanation for `why?'. The findings can be used to construct supply chains that are less prone to misconduct and to identify where in the chain it is important to be aware of immoral behavior. The value and originality of this research is centered on the application of a new theoretical lens for socially responsible supply chain management. It is the only identified research in the area which identifies mechanisms on a generative level that explains human behavior and conditions to which those mechanisms are subject. This is also in itself a novel application of moral disengagement in a new research context. / <p>Doctoral thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Textile Management at the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at 1:00 p.m.,in room M404, University of Bor as, Allégatan 1, Borås</p>

Denna studie undersöker hur unga kvinnor i Generation Z rationaliserar sina köp av fast fashion trots en växande medvetenhet om modeindustrins negativa aspekter gällande miljö och sociala konsekvenser. Genom att utforska gapet mellan konsumenternas intentioner kring hållbarhet och deras faktiska beteenden belyser studien faktorer som har en påverkan på konsumentens köpbeslut. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts. Detta för att få en djupgående insikt i hur unga kvinnor inom Generation Z använder sig av rationaliseringar för att rättfärdiga sina köp av fast fashion. Analys av resultatet har utförts i form av en tematisk analys. Teorin Moralisk frikoppling har även tillämpats i ett försök att förklara det beteende som ligger till grund för gapet mellan konsumentens intention och handling. Studien visar att konsumenter i många fall använder sig av Moralisk frikoppling eftersom det ger en möjlighet att separera de negativa aspekterna av fast fashion, såsom miljöpåverkan, från de positiva aspekterna, exempelvis att plagget är billigt, snyggt eller trendigt. Resultatet visar att trots en ökad medvetenhet om fast fashions negativa aspekter, är det rationaliseringar som påverkar varför kvinnor inom Generation Z konsumerar, där pris och begär är de mest betydande drivkrafterna. Studien bidrar till en djupare förståelse av konsumentbeteende inom fast fashion samt en förståelse för de faktorer som påverkar gapet mellan konsumenters intentioner kring hållbarhet och dess faktiska handlingar. Ytterligare förväntas studien att bidra med en ökad självmedvetenhet hos konsumenter kring deras egen konsumtion av fast fashion och därav inspirera till mer medvetna val. Studien är skriven på svenska. / This study examines how young women in Generation Z rationalize their purchases of fast fashion despite a growing awareness of the fashion industry's negative aspects regarding environmental and social consequences. By exploring the gap between consumers' intentions regarding sustainability and their actual behaviors, the study highlights factors that have an impact on consumers' purchase decisions. The study is based on a qualitative method where semi-structured interviews were conducted. This is to gain an in-depth insight into how young women in Generation Z use rationalizations to justify their purchases of fast fashion. Analysis of the results has been done in the form of a thematic analysis. Additionally, the theory of Moral Decoupling has been applied in an attempt to explain the behavior that underlies the gap between the consumer's intention and action. The study shows that in many cases consumers use Moral Decoupling because it provides an opportunity to separate the negative aspects of fast fashion, such as environmental impact, from the positive aspects, for example that the garment is cheap, stylish or trendy. The result shows that despite an increased awareness of fast fashion's negative aspects, it is rationalizations that influence why women in Generation Z consume, where price and desire are the most significant driving forces. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of consumer behavior within fast fashion as well as an understanding of the factors that affect the gap between consumers' intentions regarding sustainability and its actual actions. Furthermore, the study is expected to contribute to an increased self-awareness among consumers regarding their own consumption of fast fashion and thereby inspire more conscious choices. The study is written in Swedish.