Title: Examining the social side of sustainability in the debate on business model innovations in the textile, clothing and fashion industry: a typology based on the value chain perspective

Authors: Katja Beyer; Marlen Gabriele Arnold

Addresses: Faculty of Economics & Business Administration, Chemnitz University of Technology, Professorship for Corporate Environmental Management and Sustainability, Thüringer Weg 7, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany ' Faculty of Economics & Business Administration, Chemnitz University of Technology, Professorship for Corporate Environmental Management and Sustainability, Thüringer Weg 7, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany

Abstract: In the global textile, clothing and fashion industry, social sustainability is increasingly considered an integral part of corporate sustainability and it is becoming even more important in textile value chains faced with uncertainties and vulnerabilities. Yet, what are relevant social aspects in this context? Based on a systematic literature review of 137 peer-reviewed articles we identify social sustainability-related aspects in business model innovations for sustainability. We find that current scholarly debates point to key social aspects, yet, fall short of their critical investigation. Moreover, the in-depth exploration of further issues featuring social sustainability (such as justice and de-growth) is largely absent. Our study contributes to current research by providing (i) an overview concerning the integration of key concepts and topics of social sustainability in existing research on textile, clothing and fashion business model innovations and (ii) a typology of further social sustainability-related aspects along the entire textile value chain.

Keywords: social sustainability; business model innovation for sustainability; textile; clothing and fashion industry; systematic literature review; typology; value chain perspective.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2022.123908

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2022 Vol.16 No.3/4, pp.322 - 371

Received: 31 Jul 2020
Accepted: 03 Apr 2021
Published online: 04 Jul 2022 *

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