Title: Fabric of change: insights from Gen Z college students on government's role in promoting sustainability in fashion

Authors: Fariba Nosrati; Enrique Nunez; Tina Nosrati; Desislava Budeva

Addresses: Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA ' Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA ' School of Theoretical and Applied Science, Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA ' Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA

Abstract: This study examines Gen Z college students' consumer attitudes toward government interventions aimed at promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. Many from this demographic have been sceptical about government involvement. To cultivate ethical leaders in sustainability, it is crucial to consider students' perspectives. Employing a mixed-methods design, this examination triangulates data from participants' social media discourse. Sentiment analysis was conducted to assess the tone of comments, followed by cluster analysis to categorise comments into three clusters based on identifying patterns. Furthermore, frequency analysis was employed to examine the prevalence of attitudes, and common themes were identified through thematic analysis. The findings reveal robust support among Gen Z consumers for stringent government regulations to address market failures, aligning with public interest theory. However, nuanced perspectives favouring incentives and industry-led efforts resonate with public choice theory's emphasis on self-interest. Despite prior research indicating a lack of confidence in governments among Gen Z, this study underscores the cohort's desire for a holistic approach balancing regulatory measures with financial incentives, collaborative initiatives, consumer education, transparency, and trust-building efforts to drive sustainable transformations while accommodating this demographic's diverse priorities.

Keywords: consumer behaviour; college students; Gen Z; sustainable fashion; government regulations; public interest theory; public choice theory; consumer attitudes; fashion industry; sustainability initiatives.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHES.2025.147641

International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability, 2025 Vol.5 No.3, pp.277 - 300

Received: 10 Jun 2024
Accepted: 07 Sep 2024
Published online: 24 Jul 2025 *