• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.37-48
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• 2021

Purpose: The importance of sustainability in the supply chain has steadily risen in recent decades as a result of the growing awareness on the social issues. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between social sustainability practices and performance outcomes, as well as explore the mediating role of supply chain integration on that relationship. Research design, data and methodology: PLS-SEM model is developed to identify the impacts of sustainability on performance outcomes and the mediating role of supply chain integration. We received 285 responses from medium and large companies located in Vietnam, and after filtering, 206 responses were used for further analysis. Results: Our findings showed that sustainability impacts significantly on integration and performance in the supply chain. Moreover, the result indicates that supplier integration and internal integration mediate the relationship between social sustainability practices and supply chain performance, while customer integration mediation role was not found significant at all. Conclusions: Our results prove that social sustainability practices can link all the stakeholders and enhance collaboration. To maintain sustainable development, firms should embrace values of sustainability to improve the well-being, working condition, and healthcare of their employees as well as the advancement of local society.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was first, to examine the causes for the recent acceleration in the increase of textile/apparel waste and the current practices for reducing waste in the global textile and apparel industry; and second, to explore the influence of sustainability and social responsibility on fashion trends. Extensive literature on sustainable apparel and sustainable and socially responsible practices by global textile and apparel firms was reviewed in conducting this research. First, an accelerated fashion diffosion speed due to fast fashion was focused on as a cause for the increase in textile/apparel waste whereas mass customization was focused on as a potential solution for reducing waste. Then, the influence of the social trend toward sustainability and social responsibility on fashion trends was discussed, particularly the trends toward green products and recycled fashion, the trend against using real for or leather, and minimum-fabric-waste fashion in design and product development. This study furthers consumers' understanding of sustainability and social responsibility related to fashion trends and hopefully increases their consciousness in becoming socially responsible consumers. This study will also contribute to better decision-making in apparel and textile firms to produce sustainable fashion products.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.15-37
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• 2014

Sustainability is a broad concept involving economic, social and environmental issues in operational and managerial processes. To assist ports to implant sustainability practices into their operations, this paper conceptualizes the structure of sustainability practice in port operations, based on interviews undertaken at Busan port in early 2013. Results revealed that, as a strategic practice to improve their internal business processes, sustainability practices necessitate the simultaneous pursuit of container traffic growth, low environmental impacts and corporate responsible image making, operational efficiency, efficiency of the use of the port area and sustainable growth. Through thematic analysis, the relevant practices were clustered into four sub-dimensions incorporating environmental technologies, continual monitoring and upgrading, internal process improvement, and cooperation and communication. Further, reporting the relevant issues such as barriers and challenges in carrying out sustainability practices, the findings provide useful insights for strategic agenda to assist ports to incorporate sustainability practices in their operations.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.55-68
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• 2017

This research is carried out to investigate the relationship between sustainability practices and performance in a financial sense for Malaysian Oil and Gas sector. Objectives include to study the state of sustainability disclosure among Malaysian oil and gas companies, to understand if companies that practiced sustainability had better performances to their financial bottom-line and to conduct a data analysis to understand the relationship between Environmental, social and governance performance [represented by the acronym ACSI] and financial performance. Sustainability performance is measured using ACSI checklist, which is an adaptation of the GRI 3.0 by Global reporting initiative while financial performance was measured on financial and profitability parameters namely EBITDA, EPS and PE ratio. Secondary data sources are used which were then converted into a rating scale to develop quantitative data. SPSS 21 is used for the analysis. The result shows that the majority of oil and gas companies in Malaysia had poor performance in terms of sustainability disclosure. On all three chosen profitability parameters, the companies that practiced sustainability were found to perform better than their counterparts that did not. Strong and significant relationship exists between sustainability practices and better financial performance.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.53-62
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• 2019

Purpose: This research aims to study the internal and external social practices of supply chain management along with economic and social performance of eight Portuguese companies from different industrial sectors. Through empirical data derived from eight case studies, five research propositions are suggested and tested. Research, design, data and methodology: The data was collected through 22 semi-structured interviews with general, procurement, and environmental/safety managers from eight companies from different industrial sectors. Secondary data was collected from reports, websites, and companies' internal documentation. Results: The analysis identifies the most important social practices considered by managers, as well as the performance measures that are most appropriate and most widely used to evaluate the influence of social practices on corporate economic and social performance. The results support four of the five propositions of this research. Companies' economic and social performance are affected by the implementation of social practices into the supply chain, namely the internal social practices. Conclusions: The findings confirmed that there is a positive relationship between internal social practices and economic performance. Internal social supply chain practices contribute to improve social performance. It also identifies the social practices which have negative effects on focal company performance.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.206-216
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• 2022

This study sought to examine the sustainability criteria found in the global sourcing practices of global fashion retailers. Sustainable supply chain management, with a particular focus on the sustainability criteria of global sourcing, was analyzed. This qualitative study was based on a focus group interview and corporate social responsibility (CSR) annual reports. Eight master categories, 18 middle categories, and 37 bottom categories were extracted. The key categories and their middle categories were as follows: (1) Social compliance (working conditions, employment, safety); (2) Environment concerns (environmental pollution management, eco-friendly production, supply chain environment); (3) Energy efficiency (energy saving program, store environment); (4) Consumer protection (restricted substances management, consumer product safety improvement); (5) Management system (code of conduct, triangle audit system); (6) Community social activities (local community service, voluntary activities, charitable activities); (7) External stakeholder engagement (media & non-governmental organization management, maintenance of relationship with local authority); (8) Brand protection (respect for companies' intellectual property). The findings of this study offer academically significant insights into the sustainability criteria that can be encountered by companies under diverse global sourcing scenarios, revealing that global sourcing by fashion retailers is not merely a means of reducing costs, but a way of generating new jobs and making a social contribution to developing countries. The study's findings also have practical significance, offering guidelines for general CSR activities in the global sourcing process.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.88-107
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• 2023

This study aimed to understand the current status of practice for sustainability in luxury fashion brands. A total of five luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Burberry, and Prada) were selected. Each company's official website, sustainability reports, and articles on sustainability practices were compiled. In addition, analysis was performed based on criteria of sustainability such as environmental, social, economical, and cultural dimensions. As a result, the biggest commonality of the five brands was that they promoted the most active change in the environment. These brands tried to reduce energy consumption in materials and production processes. Among them, Burberry, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton had their own departments for sustainability. However, there were differences in strategies of activities between brands for social, economical, and cultural sustainability. Among the five companies, Burberry and Gucci pursued sustainability strategies the most aggressively. They separated their sustainability strategies in terms of environmental, social, economical, and cultural aspects and shared them with consumers. A set of outcomes for the plan were provided as objective data. The sustainable management strategy has become a key strategy for long-term growth of the luxury brand market. To survive in the market, luxury brands should elaborate sustainable management strategies and actively share them with consumers.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.277-287
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• 2021

This article systematically reviews the adoption of total quality management (TQM) implementation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on firm performance. A total of 233 published documents from 1996 to 2020 in international journals have been collected and listed on the SCOPUS database. It aims to fill the existing literature gap regarding TQM and CSR practices and point out a future research agenda. This study employed a systematic literature review approach to review those manuscripts related to TQM, CSR topics focused on firm performance. Consequently, the results stressed that TQM and CSR are excellent tools and have a similarity to support the firms to attain corporate sustainability; however, TQM practices have given more interest than CSR initiatives. Moreover, the results highlighted that only a few articles are interested in simultaneously combining TQM and CSR initiatives although this idea is rising in recent years. Thus, the statistical findings indicated several research gaps that remain unaddressed. It is worthy of considering TQM and CSR integration; however, other scholars need to identify the critical success factors that could enable TQM practices or barriers to CSR adoption. Particularly spending more attention on the transitional economies context, which is considering a promising future research context.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2014

The practice of sustainability is an important subject to integrate into the management, product planning, manufacturing by textile and fashion companies as well as consumption by end-users. This study shows an evaluation scale designed to assess the practical cases in order to suggest efficient and systematic methods to fulfill the practice of sustainability in textile and fashion companies. First, companies should practice environmental sustainability to use eco-friendly material and cleaner production, protect the environment, and save natural resources. Second, social sustainability is required to fulfill social responsibility and ethical needs. Third, companies should perform various innovative activities, transparency in management, fair competition and economic contribution in the local community in order to maintain economic sustainability to survive in industry. Finally, cultural sustainability should be fulfilled by textile and fashion companies as part of the intellectual-cultural industry in a way that increases the importance of ethnic and cultural diversity. Textile and fashion companies should fulfill four environmental, social, and economic cultural sustainable subjects in a balanced method to accomplish sustainability. The concerns and practices of environmental sustainability are comparatively highly rated due to the analysis of the evaluation scale. However, cultural sustainability (a need of the times) is poorly rated and needs more attention. Therefore, the evaluation scale can be used as a standard tool to fulfill the sustainability of companies and brands from the viewpoint of improving poor and insufficiently sustainable items as well as balancing sustainability management.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.261-271
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• 2019

The study aims to investigate corporate social responsibility (CSR) best practices of the world automotive industry - Peugeot, BMW, Ford, Hyundai and Toyota among others - and recommend that they plan their business strategies and managerial responses accordingly. Based on the comparative research and case studies, this research finds that all five automobile manufacturers have taken very similar measures and actions in order to establish and maintain a high level of CSR practices. Sustainability was a core value in all five companies and served as a guiding principle in every aspect and approach of their business. This study finds that all five companies have CSR strategies in place to increase energy efficiency as well as reduce the usage and wastage of water in their production and plants. This research also finds that all companies monitor their suppliers and their own production process to ensure that they maintain their CSR standards. More impressively, this sustainable management practice is transferred along the companies' supply chain through education and training. Their suppliers and business partners are closely monitored to make sure that their high CSR standards are respected and followed. However, we find that there also are some differences in terms of their CSR deliveries and activities.