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Korean Fashion Companies' Strategic CSR Implementation with Focus on Incorporation of Consumers' CSR Expectations

한국 패션기업의 전략적 CSR 수행에 있어 소비자의 CSR 기대 반영 양상

  • Chung, Kyunghwa (Dept. of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Yuri (Dept. of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design, Seoul National University/Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • 정경화 (서울대학교 의류학과) ;
  • 이유리 (서울대학교 의류학과/서울대학교 생활과학연구소)
  • Received : 2015.02.23
  • Accepted : 2015.09.14
  • Published : 2016.02.29

Abstract

The importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation is increasing and CSR activity has become a core activity for firms. The increase on CSR activity expenditures also increases the need for strategic. When firms implement CSR strategically, firms need to consider consumers' perspectives toward CSR. This research investigated how Korean fashion companies integrate consumers' CSR expectations into CSR implementation. Through a qualitative study, we researched a firm's consideration of consumers which are reflected in detailed procedures of CSR implementation. We conducted in-depth interviews with executives and managers in charge of CSR and found the following results. First, motivations for CSR implementation were both strategic and moral along with consumers who play a crucial role in CSR motivation. Second, firms conducted various strategic CSR activities differentiating themselves using a specific resource. Third, self-CSR evaluation was not active and structured. Few companies were collecting consumer responses to CSR activities. Last, executives and managers have difficulties to perform CSR activities due to gaps between ethical consumption consciousness and the ethical consumption behavior, measurement of CSR effect, and lack of understanding of strategic CSR. The results of our study show that firm's consideration of consumers is insufficient despite executives and managers who strongly agree with the need for strategic CSR.

Keywords

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