The Fast Fashion Industry and Sustainability: Where is the ‘fast’ now? How a large player in the fast fashion industry responds to a public discourse regarding sustainability – Zara case study

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2021-07-12
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en
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This study proposes an overview of the response strategies displayed by Zara regarding institutional pressure from the public debate concerning sustainability in the industry over time. The purpose of this study is to generate more empirical insights on the responses of organizations in the industry regarding sustainability matters and to identify how these responses develop over time. First, a timeline of the public debate was created, by examining all articles regarding fast fashion and sustainability in two large newspapers. Afterwards, Zara’s response strategies were analyzed by performing a document content analysis annual reports, public interviews, and statements. Moreover, to increase the validity of the results, critical third-party data on Zara’s response strategies has been included in this content analysis as well. The results demonstrate that Zara displays three response strategies over time: acquiesce consistently, and manipulation and avoidance increasingly as the pressure of the public debate intensifies. Moreover, the issue of incompatibility between fast fashion and sustainability intensifies over the years, creating a severe pressure point in the fashion industry. As the public debate is sketched by two media outlets only, and the response strategies of only one organization are examined, this research constitutes some limitations. Future research therefore could for example investigate the response strategies of other organizations in the industry. Moreover, future research could explore the severe pressure point of incompatibility, by for example investigating its impact on organizations’ business strategies.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen