Corporate social responsibility in the apparel industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions of Indian consumers regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the apparel industry, and to investigate its importance in the apparel decision‐making process.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was used as the methodological basis for the study. In‐depth interviews were conducted in India with a total of 26 participants (19 males and 7 females). Interviews lasted between one and two hours and were conducted until saturation in responses was achieved.Findings – Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed via a thematic approach; six themes emerged that are used to organize participants’ responses regarding CSR in the apparel industry. A conceptual framework grounded in the data was developed that highlights relationships between factors that surfaced as important to CSR in the decision‐making process.Research limitations/implications – Because data were collected specifically with Indian consumers, study fin...

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