Who shares wins? Examining transparency in global fashion supply chains

Summary

Fashion brands receive harsh criticism for engaging in unethical practices such as poor working conditions and environmental damage.  Fashion supply chains span the globe, and comprise multiple actors. Sustainability efforts are often hampered as  each actor has its own practices around enacting sustainable supply chain management, and there is a lack of holistic supply chain thinking. It is these business relationships, built within the fast paced system of global production and delivery of goods, that have led to the evolution of frenetic consumption practices that are contributing to the erosion of environmental and social resources. While some supply chain actors use signalling to support claims of sustainable practices, there is often limited substantiation of such claims leading to accusations of greenwashing and deception. As a result, fashion supply chains are under increasing pressure by stakeholders to publicly disclose supply chain performance information and to show a high level of supply chain transparency. Transparent fashion supply chains are therefore crucial for resource conservation and consumer confidence.

The proposed research will examine multinational fashion supply chains with the aim of understanding the contemporary challenges to achieving supply chain transparency. Against the backdrop of more stringent sustainability regulation and consumer expectations, these challenges are constantly in flux. Historically, luxury fashion supply chains have been slower to market but evidence exists of an increase in the amount and number of lines released throughout the year. Fast fashion supply chains are frequently under the microscope, yet is it unclear whether fast fashion firms are placing a more defined emphasis on sustainability in light of stakeholder pressure. 

Fashion supply chains, particularly luxury and fast, are to be the focus of this research, however slow fashion may be also be of interest.  A qualitative approach is expected to be adopted, which will allow the multiple voices associated with fashion supply chains to be heard. The outcomes of the project are expected to provide research informed support for the importance of a circular economy approach to transparency in supply chains, thus contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the research has clear potential for practical and policy oriented contributions and would be ideally suited to a candidate with a supply chain or fashion background and an interest in sustainability.  

Further reading

• Fernie, J. and Grant, D.B. (2019), Fashion Logistics: Insights into the fashion retail supply chain, Kogan Page, London.
• Hannibal, C. and Kauppi, K. (2019), ‘Third party social sustainability assessment: Is it a multi tier supply chain solution?’ International Journal of Production Economics, 217, pp. 78-87. 
• Skritsovali, K., Randles, S. and Hannibal, C. (2023), ‘Missing attention to power dynamics in collaborative multi-actor business models for sustainability’, Sustainability, 15 (3), pp. 2-16.
• UNESCO , UNESCO and Sustainable Development Goals
• Zapparoli, M., Tickle, M. and Hannibal, C. (in press), ‘The faster the better? Comparing sustainability performance information in fast and luxury fashion’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management.

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