Business Ethics, CSR, and Sustainability in the UK Clothing Industry

This report delves into the critical aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability within the UK clothing industry. It begins by identifying and discussing major challenges, such as government inefficiency, high investment costs, demands for greater disclosure, increased consumer interest, changing employee behavior, and working conditions. The report then evaluates best practices for businesses in this sector, emphasizing ethical and moral considerations like labor-intensive techniques, brand image building, and environmental protection, referencing examples from companies like H&M and Zara. Finally, it offers recommendations, highlighting the importance of socially responsible policies, supply chain management, and stakeholder engagement to foster long-term success and global responsibility. The report underscores the need for companies to adapt and prioritize CSR to meet consumer expectations and achieve sustainable business outcomes.

Business Ethics, Responsibility
and Sustainability
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Discuss the major challenges in regards of the CSR and sustainability in related sector. ....3
Evaluate the best practice for a specified business by considering the ethical and moral
problem. .................................................................................................................................5
Provide appropriate kind of recommendations in order to show the responsibility for taking
care of global consideration. ..................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
CSR and sustainability is one of most important factors for an organisation in order to
create the social environment by collaborating the values related to economy for gaining
desirable outcomes. Respective report is based on the clothing industry that always has been big
business for the UK marketplace. Respective report is based on the key challenges related to
corporate responsibility and sustainability related to the chosen industry. It also includes the best
practice for respective sector by considering the ethical and moral issues. At last it includes the
valid recommendations for business in respective sector that they are responsible for global
considerations.
MAIN BODY
Discuss the major challenges in regards of the CSR and sustainability in related sector.
There has been growing concern over the apparel or clothing industry in improving the
environmental impact and social responsibility through out their supply chain. The reporting of
the CSR increased within the clothing industry as a response. With the augmentative economic
process the clothing industry is now often more spread geographically with the production,
distribution and retail operations split into the kinds of regions and countries. In that regards the
global retailers diligently ensure about global corporate standards to maintain safety, labour ,
sustainability, product quality and many more (Aramburu and Pescador, 2019). The prime
purpose or cause of including the CSR in the enterprise activities to make the corporate culture
and activities property in three ways that are economic, social and environmental. It is very much
important to pay attention on the respective dimensions but management think that it is exterior
part of their business. In context of Clothing industry there are no. of challenges they faced while
implying the CSR and sustainability in their organisational works and activities that are as
follows:
Inefficiency of government:
In the few years back the organisation rely on the various kinds of laws and legal
considerations in order to gain desirable goals and objectives that leads towards the certain kinds
of failed initiatives (Burke, Hoitash and Hoitash, 2019). But in today's business scenario it is
very much important for them to conduct in self interest of organisational as well as stakeholders
in order to remain competitive in business environment. In context of Clothing industry that is
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one of most competitive industry in marketplace so to keep attached with their potential clients
they have to invest in CSR and sustainable practices. Government takes the particular interest in
respective wider system of governance as they blamed for their perceived failures. The role of
UK Government in encouragement of CSR by presenting paper which explained by specified
societal governance deficits.
High investment cost:
The biggest challenge in implementation of the social responsibility is because of the
CSR economic demand of higher level of investment cost (Constantinescu and Kaptein, 2020).
By considering the three important aspects of CSR that is social, economic and environment to
be on sustainable line map of service to meet the demand of potential deliverables. In context of
clothing industry to remain always competitive in marketplace it is potential for them to bring
innovations on specified time period. So investing money on CSR activities and sustainability
proved very much tough for them. So it is very important to manage the budget as per the
essential aspects of business by planning appropriately.
Demands for greater disclosure:
The another serious kind of issue that faced by the Clothing industry while implementing
the CSR initiatives and sustainability in organisation. The growing demand in the market for
corporate disclosure in between the stakeholders which includes customers, suppliers, employees
, communities, activist organisations and investors to gain desirable outcomes. Disclosing the
important information sometimes proved very much hazardous for organisation as well as
individual that it hinders their market share and profitability adversely (Corporate Social
Responsibility and the challenges ahead, 2020). So it is very hard for them to hide the potential
knowledge and information from the market while investing in the CSR activities.
Increased consumer interest:
In today's competitive world, consumers are very much important for the organisation
and it is the responsibility of management to find out each and every sphere to satisfy consumers
needs (Crane, Matten and Spence, 2019). In context of clothing industry they not only demands
the innovation in products and services but also wants that company work for CSR and
sustainability. In study evaluated that half of the consumers in the market punished in regards of
the their social activates for above mentioned reason estimate 30%. So to enhance the consumer
satisfaction level it is ideal to invest money for CSR and sustainability in marketplace to remain
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competitive in marketplace (Crane and et.al., 2019). So understanding the consumer interest and
serving them accordingly is one of major concern in front of organisation to gain desirable
outcomes.
Change in employee behaviour:
In the surroundings the consumer taste and preferences changes rapidly as they looking
for the more advance kinds of products and services in order to remain competitive. In that
regards it is responsibility of management to match with the operating activities. In context of
Clothing industry they face issue that to retain and hire skilled employees facing force to
improve the working conditions. So managing all activities and behaviours for an organisation
proved very much difficult for them in order to remain competitive in marketplace.
Working conditions:
Working condition which aimed to investigate and describe the corporate policies
designed to examine the social responsibility in respect of working conditions and employment.
The two crucial kinds of issues are restructuring and subcontracting (Crifo, Escrig-Olmedo and
Mottis, 2019). It has been analysed that handling of CSR aspects of restructuring should be
organised in most formalised manner in order to solve the issues or concerns. On other hand
body of regulatory measures that existed for the purpose of restructuring that consisted little
legal regulations for subcontracting relationships that plays major part in the CSR in terms of job
quality and working conditions of employees of subcontracting organisations.
So in context of Clothing industry they while applying the CSR and sustainability in their
organisation they faces majorly two kinds of concerns that is restructuring and subcontracting
that hinders their self interest in gaining desirable outcomes.
Evaluate the best practice for a specified business by considering the ethical and moral problem.
Ethics and morality is one of most growing priority for the business leaders but on other
hand they are embedded an ethical culture. To gain the fully embed culture of ethical
organisation needed to improve the training, communication and leadership practices. The way
in which respective practices are implemented proved very much critical for organisation to gain
ability for ethical performance culture. In the specified business sector it is very much important
to take some important steps to eliminate the moral and ethical issues that are as follows:
In clothing industry the majorly they uses the labour intensive technique that uses comparatively
the larger amount of labour and small amount of capital (de Bakker, Rasche and Ponte, 2019).
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It is the technique by which organisation can be able to use more no. of labour and less of capital
for the production process. Respective activity come under the CSR activity, majorly in the
clothing industry companies operated at very large scale. So by using the labour intensive
technique that promote the employment in the economy so that they can provide opportunities to
the manpower in pursuing work so that they can enhance their living standard and contribute in
economic development in positive manner. Respective activity come under the ethical issue, that
it is the responsibility of organisation to provide more and more employment opportunities as it
not only helps to serve the economy as well as individual in most positive manner. Respective
techniques have the two business objectives that are formation of capital and skill generation. In
the fierce competitive world paying attention on the CSR activities and sustainability proved
very much important for organisation to enhance the consumer base. By giving the proper
information about the products and services that helps to build a distinctive brand image in the
marketplace helps to organisation to build a distinctive place in the minds of consumers.
Respective best practice that come under the morality of an organisation so that consumers can
take appropriate decision in regards of purchasing the organisational products and services.
In ethical issues that hinders the self interest of an organisation in gaining desirable goals
and objectives. In context of clothing industry to manufacture the clothes it is very much
necessary to put one of their best efforts in saving the environment as in today's business
environment employees not only pay attention on packages and other benefits but they concern
for CSR activities (Edinger-Schons And et.al., 2019). So not use the carbon and invest money
on saving the environment as it is very much important to build a distinctive image in the
marketplace. In modern time, there are the prominent trends towards sustainability and being
'green' towards expanding sustainable clothing by reducing the amount of clothing discarded to
landfills and decreasing impact of agrochemicals in manufacturing conventional fiber crops. So
producing with the machinery that not enhance the pollution in environment so that potential
advantages should be attained. For an example the H&M the retail giant ranked no. 20 on Forbes
as most sustainable companies in 2016 that strives to deliver one of most affordable items to
their consumer base. By using the pieces made of recycled materials so that they can save the
cost. The another major example of Zara that is very much conscious regarding the carbon
footprints that leaves on their environment (Ferrell and et.al., 2019). The stores of Zara designed
in most eco friendly manner by optimum use of renewable energy for heating can cooling
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requirements. There are 90% of the packaging is made of papers and only 10% made
biodegradable. So it can be said that clothing industry is very much potential towards saving the
environment in most positive manner so that they can build distinctive image in the marketplace.
So it is very much important to use the approach to build changes in the business works and
practices in order to gain desirable outcomes in most positive manner.
So it is very much important for an industry or organisation to choose one of best practice
to schedule the works and activities in proper manner. In that regards consultation with the
management and employee's proved very much important to apply practices into the whole
organisation to gain harmonious results (Jones And et.al., 2019).
Provide appropriate kind of recommendations in order to show the responsibility for taking care
of global consideration.
Companies ramping towards increasing their direction on the social responsibility
whether it is the subject matter of rights of women and save environment or putting efforts to
obliterate the poverty on kinds of levels so that desirable outcomes should be achieved (Leal
Filho and et.al., 2019). From the options the socially responsible companies project the more
attractive scenario for both the consumers and shareholders that directly affect on their bottom
lines. By using the socially responsible policies that are long way towards attracting the retaining
the consumers that is very much important for organisation to gain the long term success. In
addition to consumers gladly pay premium for goods as they know that part of their profit will be
channelled towards social causes near and dear to them. Companies can witness the increased the
profitability by enhancing the local community. As the awareness of CSR activities grows,
businesses needs to realise the supply chain and their management that the way it added value in
their products and services in order to gain potential outcomes. Most businesses by using the
CSR objectives that is overall part of their corporate strategy that being applied across their
overall supply chain. It has been recommended that moved towards the sustainable retailing by
largely collaborating with the supply chains to reduce waste, enhance productivity and positively
optimise the material usage such as H&M optimise. They can also taken steps that helps in
enhancing the profitability and sustainability in marketplace that are
Integrate CSR:
From the top to the bottom, the way organisation of CSR are inter connected and
intertwined in order to gain desirable outcomes. It is very important to verify the mission
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statement to the desks of each and every employee (Nicholson and Kurucz, 2019). To integrate
and apply with the CSR and sustainability activities it is very important to examine the
organisational vision statement. It is essential to examine the element of commencing the good
deeds. While applying the CSR activities it is necessary to use visionary by not repeating but
refining and updating it. By conducting audit that helps to access the way to communicate about
sustainable business goals throughout the whole organisation. By conducting surveys the
answers surprise and re direct to gain desirable outcomes.
Formalise environmental and social justice:
for an organisation it is significant to merge the CSR activities with organisation culture
that takes business a formal process in order to gain potential outcomes. By addressing the
climate change and social justice that is part of the organisational and industrial success.
Suggestions state that prosperity of organisation rely on the change in climate by influencing
activities from the private sector (Rendtorff, 2019). Business in the present scenario are no
longer adversaries but they are are drivers to smooth functioning of activities. Business have to
work on the driver of equalising gender, sexual preferences and issues related to family. So it is
come also under the moral and ethics to listed a specified percentage of women on list of board.
Encourage employee's to turn off:
The another major factor to recommend that encouragement of employee's is very much
potential for organisation to connect with organisational goals and objectives. For that it is very
much important to provide no. of facilities from on site medical clinic, gym and swimming pool
appeared to be taken into consideration. The reason behind that organisation never want their
employee' never to leave that come under the CSR activity to take care of employee's needs in
proper manner. For an organisation to encouraged employee's it is very potential to use
reflection, refreshment and re charging that is essential part of organisation in order to remain
competitive in marketplace.
Structure cross collaboration:
In an organisation while departments get stretch horizontally to gain suitable kind of
communication every one get benefit. To gain desirable outcomes it is very much potential to
formed a coalition committed towards fighting the climate change under the name of brand to
improve the working conditions. So each and every activity align with one another
Tech and deploy storytelling:
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It has been recommended that organisation need to communicate with the target audience
in order to promote the organisational CSR (Schaltegger, Hörisch and Freeman, 2019). With
the help of vivid storytelling that includes the detail points and data but not assist the story. In the
monthly internal communication meetings to the client updates reports on basis of quarterly that
is the way to presentation should be approached. This applies not to put content on the power
point slides full of text that not way to connect with the industry. So it is important to present the
data and statistics in most potential manner by using the verified information so that employees
can engage oneself with the organisation and its CSR activities in order to gain favourable results
from them.
So it has been recommended to work on the respective attributes in order to encourage
and engaged each and every individual with the CSR and sustainable works and activities in
order to remain competitive in marketplace (Tran, 2019). In clothing industry which is the most
competitive industry as people always eager to choose something new and innovative. The
demanding consumers not only demand innovative products and services but they pay attention
on CSR activities of organisation. So it is very much essential for organisation to pay attention
on the sustainability and ethical work practices to attain consumers satisfaction level positively.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that for an organisation CSR activities and
sustainability plays very much important role as it helps to enhance the brand value in the
marketplace. By identifying the major issues or concerns that faced by an organisation while
implementing the CSR activities in the organisation facilitate smooth functioning of business
activities. So by considering the self interest of stakeholders of the organisation which enables in
gaining desirable outcomes from them such as funds and their assistance. By using the best
practice approach to solve the moral and ethical issues faced by an organisation in order to gain
sustainability in the business environment. For an organisation it is very much important to
collect necessary information in order to commence business activities in proper manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals:
Aramburu, I.A. and Pescador, I.G., 2019. The effects of corporate social responsibility on
customer loyalty: The mediating effect of reputation in cooperative banks versus
commercial banks in the Basque country. Journal of Business Ethics, 154(3), pp.701-
719.
Burke, J.J., Hoitash, R. and Hoitash, U., 2019. The heterogeneity of board-level sustainability
committees and corporate social performance. Journal of Business Ethics. 154(4).
pp.1161-1186.
Constantinescu, M. and Kaptein, M., 2020. Virtue ethics and CSR: The two sides of sustainable
organizational performance. In Intrinsic CSR and Competition (pp. 119-132). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham.
Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L. eds., 2019. Corporate social responsibility: Readings and
cases in a global context. Routledge.
Crane, A. and et.al., 2019. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in
the age of globalization. Oxford University Press, USA.
Crifo, P., Escrig-Olmedo, E. and Mottis, N., 2019. Corporate governance as a key driver of
corporate sustainability in France: The role of board members and investor
relations. Journal of Business Ethics. 159(4). pp.1127-1146.
de Bakker, F.G., Rasche, A. and Ponte, S., 2019. Multi-Stakeholder initiatives on sustainability: a
cross-disciplinary review and research agenda for business ethics. Business Ethics
Quarterly. 29(3). pp.343-383.
Edinger-Schons, L.M. And et.al., 2019. Frontline employees as corporate social responsibility
(CSR) ambassadors: A quasi-field experiment. Journal of Business Ethics. 157(2).
pp.359-373.
Ferrell, O.C. And et.al., 2019. Business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and brand
attitudes: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Research. 95. pp.491-501.
Jones, D.A. And et.al., 2019. Advances in employee-focused micro-level research on corporate
social responsibility: Situating new contributions within the current state of the
literature. Journal of Business Ethics. 157(2). pp.293-302.
Leal Filho, W. and et.al., 2019. The integration of social responsibility and sustainability in
practice: Exploring attitudes and practices in Higher Education Institutions. Journal of
Cleaner Production. 220. pp.152-166.
Nicholson, J. and Kurucz, E., 2019. Relational leadership for sustainability: Building an ethical
framework from the moral theory of ‘ethics of care’. Journal of Business Ethics.
156(1). pp.25-43.
Rendtorff, J.D., 2019. Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Stakeholder
Management. Philosophy of Management and Sustainability: Rethinking Business
Ethics and Social Responsibility in Sustainable Development, pp.43-52.
Schaltegger, S., Hörisch, J. and Freeman, R.E., 2019. Business cases for sustainability: a
stakeholder theory perspective. Organization & Environment. 32(3). pp.191-212.
Tran, B., 2019. Corporate social responsibility. In Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in
Business Operations and Management (pp. 270-281). IGI Global.
Online:
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Corporate Social Responsibility and the challenges ahead, 2020. [Online]. Available through.
<https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b22d13e7-1640-413b-9832-
8a4d5454e8ab>.
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