Sustainability In Global Supply Chain: A Study Of Actors Within The Global Supply Chain And Their Effect On The Implementation Of Sustainable Practices Within The Fashion Industry

Abstract

This study explores the incentives that lead an industry, specifically the fashion industry, to choose their practices, what incentivizes consumers to make their decision when purchasing, and what incentivizes government systems to support or curtail these practices. By understanding each actor's role in making supply chain choices, and thereby understanding the most successful way to frame and correct the issue, the study may help to create more sustainable industry possibilities overall. To answer the question of how and why actors within the global supply chain, including industry, government and consumers, choose to move to sustainable practices, the paper develops a game theoretic approach that it tests using a comparative analysis of the cases of Bangladesh and Vietnam. The model and case study analysis demonstrate that the implementation of sustainable practices requires the realignment of incentives and collective action, which can be proposed through various measures such as financial incentive from government systems and education of the consumer group. It is crucial to research and understand the impacts that various actors can have on the sustainability of the fashion industry and industries overall in order to correct these issues of social responsibility and environmental sustainability.