How Challenging Is It to Implement Sustainability and DEIJ Strategies? The Small Apparel Business Perspectives
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Kara Koniares
Presenter(s): Kara Koniares
Mentors(s): Ruoh-Nan Yan
While there have been many studies examining sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in varying contexts, little research is focused on how small businesses practice both of these initiatives, particularly in the apparel industry, which is one of the most impactful industries in terms of environmental and social issues. Small businesses were selected as the focus of this study due to their significant presence and economic impact in the United States. Recent data indicates that there are approximately 34 million small businesses nationwide, accounting for 99.9% of all firms. The purpose of this research was to explore how small apparel businesses implement sustainability and DEI practices and why or why not they chose to do so. The two primary research questions we developed for the study were: RQ1: How do small businesses in the apparel industry implement sustainability and DEI strategies? RQ2: What are factors that might influence their decisions when deciding whether and how to practice sustainability and DEI?