Historically, 18th century anecdotal accounts of the decimation of several tribes of U.S. of the Native American population by trading of infected textile blankets alludes to the role of retail in the transmission of infectious disease. This study explores implications of the modern day retail organization practice of reselling returned clothing textiles from a public health infectious disease perspective. A qualitative multi-case study, utilized responses from 20 open-ended, unstructured interviews of retail employees assigned to the returns process. Additionally, several informal observations of select U.S.based, top-ranked clothing retail organizations, identified by the National Retail Federation were completed. Select federal, state, and local public health regulations regarding returned clothing textiles were then examined in an attempt to identify potential public health risks. Under a general systems conceptual framework, the points of interaction between the complex adaptive systems seen in retailer and the public health organizations were examined for infectious disease and infestation implications. Using MAXQDA software to perform the analyses, it was found that current retail practices and policy present unacknowledged infectious disease or infestation transmission risks. The risk applies to all, but is particularly relevant to immuno-compromised individuals. Though the risk in accepting and returning clothing to the sales cycle is an industry wide practice, it can be mitigated. Suggested mitigation takes the form of health training, and introduction of disinfection sanitizing tools such as UVC light exposures, into the returns-resale process.The findings point to an opportunity for social change for consumers, retail workers, and the community through update of public health and retail practices.

L’objet de notre recherche est double : comprendre le phénomène de fabrique d’une compétence organisationnelle stratégique induite par les usages des TI, d’une part, et aller au-delà des modèles existants d’analyse des impacts des TI en intégrant une approche multidimensionnelle, d’autre part. Nous avons privilégié une approche empirique qui a débuté par une étude de cas pilote qui nous a permis de délimiter un cadre théorique de manière abductive, par un aller-retour constant entre le terrain et les construits théoriques existants. Le cadre conceptuel se veut une synthèse des différents courants RBV intégrant le concept d’apprentissage organisationnel. Les résultats d’une étude multicas soulignent le caractère diffus et partiellement intentionnel d’un processus requérant l’interaction de ressources complémentaires fortement dépendantes du passé et aboutissant à l’amélioration de l‘efficience des routines et de la capacité dynamique d’apprentissage. Nous proposons une modélisation du processus et nous discutons des concepts significatifs quant à l'étude d'un tel phénomène. / Our research object is twofold: understand a strategic organizational competences bulding using IT, on the one hand, and go beyond the existing analysis of impacts of the IT models, integrating a multidimensional approach, on the other hand. We privileged an empirical approach beginning with a pilot case study that allowed us to define a theoretical framework of an abductive way, by a constant back and forth between the field and the theoretical existing constructs. The conceptual framework is a synthesis of the various RBV strands integrating the concept of organizational learning. The results of a multicase study underline the diffused and partially intentional character of a process, requiring interaction of additional resources highly dependent from the past, and leading to improve efficiency of the routines and dynamic adaptability. We propose a design of the process and discuss significant concepts for the study of this phenomenon.

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