Title: Fair Business as a corporate responsibility and competitiveness factor? Fashion design company Globe Hope as an example

Authors: Tarja Ketola

Addresses: Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Rehtoripellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland

Abstract: This paper introduces through an empirical study the concept of Fair Business, which integrates Fair Purchases, Fair Production and Fair Sales. The idea behind Fair Business is to implement all areas of corporate responsibility – environmental, socio-cultural and economic responsibility – in the whole production chain, from purchases to sales – and beyond, from sales back to purchases, completing the cycle. Fair Business is fair to both humans and nature. The empirical study examines the level of Fair Business of Globe Hope Ltd., a small Finnish fashion design company. It analyses Globe Hope's levels of environmental, socio-cultural and economic responsibility with assistance of five-step scales, and draws conclusions on its levels of Fair Purchases, Fair Production and Fair Sales, leading to the final conclusions on Globe Hope's level of Fair Business and on research and managerial implications of the Fair Business draft model.

Keywords: fair business; corporate responsibility; corporate social responsibility; CSR; competitiveness; Globe Hope; fair purchasing; fair production; fair sales; textile industry; supply chain management; SCM; fashion design; fashion industry; Finland; environmental responsibility; socio-cultural responsibility; economic responsibility.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2012.045791

International Journal of Technology Management, 2012 Vol.58 No.1/2, pp.109 - 128

Published online: 12 Apr 2013 *

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