Business transparency and willingness to act environmentally conscious behavior: Applying the sustainable fashion evaluation system “Higg Index”

ABSTRACT

The authors conducted a survey of 120 consumers in South Korea to study how fashion brands can use “Higg Index” to increase information transparency, which then enhances environmental concerns, brand trust, willingness to act environmentally conscious behavior, and purchase intentions. Furthermore, consumer sustainable knowledge moderates the effects of environmental concerns and brand trust. The analysis indicates that business transparency positively affects environmental concerns, brand trust, and willingness to act environmentally conscious behavior. Consumers’ sustainable knowledge moderates the effects of business transparency on environmental concerns and brand trust. The findings have meaningful implications for marketer by suggesting the need for transparency, which can be indicated by using an effective transparent evaluation system.

KEYWORDS:

• Business transparency
• sustainable fashion
• environmental concern
• willingness to act environmentally conscious behavior
• sustainable knowledge

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A2A04005218).