Design Studies at WVU required the class Design Ethics and Social Responsibility with Lianne Williamson. The course challenged students to create business plans with socially conscious goals in mind.
My project for this class focused on sustainability in the secondhand apparel market, as fashion merchandising is my primary field of study. I developed a business plan for a fictional brand called “EcoStyle Studios.”
Stakeholder Analysis
Customer Journey Map
This customer journey map represents the user experience for my brand. My customer persona is a fictional young woman who would hypothetically shop at my store. I identified demographics, background, motivations & goals, and pain points for this character.
The map itself features touchpoints, events, satisfaction levels, and potential roadblocks throughout four stages of user experience (discovery, evaluation, purchase, and experience). I used Adobe Illustrator to create these custom graphics for this project.
Corporate Social Responsibility Presentation
‘EcoStyle Studios’ by Meredith Northup, December 9, 2022
Part I: Company Background
EcoStyle Studios is a combination clothing store and tailors’ studio that
encourages people to shop mindfully and sustainably—the opposite of fast
fashion. The company will offer garments made in-house, pre-cut takehome
sewing pattern kits, machine rentals, sewing classes, alterations, and
more. Materials will be organic and/or recycled.
Vision Statement
To educate, inspire, and clothe all people in a way that protects the world around us.
Mission Statement
To supply the local population with high-quality ethically manufactured garments and
textiles. This will be achieved not only by producing our own garments, but also by
empowering our customers to build the necessary skills to create clothing
themselves.
Ethics Statements
Personal
My behavior should lead to a more peaceful, equitable world. I work every day to live a life that reflects my ideals. Respect and empathy are critical to this, but so are independence and
responsibility for your actions. I believe in working together for a better tomorrow.
Professional
My conduct on a professional basis reflects my values of
integrity and cooperation. My work must always be constructive and impactful. I will work collaboratively with
colleagues when possible and condemn harmful behavior when necessary. By committing to my ideals, I will build something better.
Company Culture
EcoStyle’s culture is centered around our code of ethics, with core values of respect, empathy, and responsibility. Our mission is to create, inspire, and uplift our community. We are a dynamic, collaborative team who emphasizes the creative process.
As a social enterprise, an essential part of our mission is to uplift our employees. We do so by allowing every employee to be partial owner of our cooperative brand. Decision making is democratic, and profit is distributed fairly. We work together to deliver a product we can be proud of.
Part II: Company Relationships
Target Audience
Example Customer A – “Abby”
- A young woman, from 18 to 25 years old. She is a student or young professional; her income is low. She is single.
- She usually buys clothes online or from thrift stores. She wants to look trendy and attractive, but she cares a lot about the environment and human rights.
- She has difficulty finding ethical clothing in her price range.
- Customer A would be primarily interested in our pre-made apparel
Example Customer B – “Beth”
- A woman, a bit older, from 35 to 55. She is married with children. She works part-time, but her household income is moderate.
- She primarily shops at discount and department stores. She has lots of free time and likes arts and crafts.
- She wants practical yet unique apparel that she won’t have to replace quickly. She does not usually shop ethically but would if she was more educated about it.
- Customer B would be interested in sewing education programs and take-home kits.
Stakeholders
EcoStyle Studios uses an employee-owned business structure, meaning the employees have the greatest stake in our business. This structure allows for more proactive stakeholder management (Pelissier Winkler, 2014). The company will operate as a Worker Cooperative in which employees get partial financial ownership over the company and are able to vote in management decisions (National Center for Employee Ownership, 2019).
Employees
The most significant stakeholder, employees in our EOB are responsible for both decision making and financial investment. They are involved with us on a daily basis and rely on us for their livelihoods. Note that in most companies, shareholders and employees are separate groups, but in this case, they are one in the same. They are divided into three subcategories:
Production
These employees create and produce goods for the company. They work in our studio facility and are involved in creative direction, garment construction, and design.
Management
Founders, executives, and corporate employees (such as marketing, merchandising, HR, etc.). In an EOB, they have less power, but are still responsible for key decision making.
Retail
In stores, these employees interact with customers and manage our retail environment. Although they make the lowest salary of the three groups, they are integral to success.
Customers
Customers are the highest priority stakeholder to satisfy, as they are the driving force for the company. This brand is built around fulfilling their needs and delivering a positive user experience. Customers directly interact with EcoStyle by purchasing goods and services. By keeping customers satisfied, we can ensure financial stability and thus prosperity for our employee shareholders.
Community
As a social enterprise, EcoStyle places a higher value on community stakeholders. Although they do not directly interact with our company, they are influenced by our mission of economic empowerment. The local community cares about the same issues the company does (environment, poverty, human rights), and they desire solutions that we are able to give them. By developing a collaborative relationship with this group, our social mission can be achieved, and our customer base expanded.
Government
The government is involved as a stakeholder on both a state and federal level. It is more than likely that the company would receive a grant from the state government, such as West Virginia’s LED grant. In this case, it would be involved in monitoring our activities such as budget, legal structure, and action plans. The government is also involved federally because of laws and regulations surrounding garment production in the United States. We also pay taxes.
Part III: Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign
Background
- The issue we have chosen to focus on is women’s labor rights.
- The average pay in the garment industry is about 3 cents per piece, averaging out to about $300 for a 60-to-70-hour work week (Reuters, 2021).
- There is also a substantial gender wage gap in some countries, with male garment workers in Pakistan making 65 percent more than their female counterparts (Huynh, 2016). These women work in poor conditions and do not have another viable career path.
- The campaign’s aim is to increase garment worker wages and provide them with the education to keep their jobs. Wage increase programs without provisions for what happens after usually result in loss of livelihood for those employed by the sweatshop (Harrison & Scorse, 2004).
- We will support these women throughout their careers to ensure fair labor.
Goals
- Ensure complete transparency in our company’s supply chain.
- Will be achieved when strict environmental standards are enforced, all labor is fair, and every step of the supply chain is tracked and published.
- Create awareness in our local community of sweatshop labor.
- Will be achieved when the majority of customers have been effectively educated about sweatshops so that they no longer buy fast fashion.
- Educate and empower women who work in the garment industry.
- Will be achieved when systems have been put in place to uplift individuals with scholarships and internships and to organize labor forces for better conditions.
Timeline
- MAINTAIN AND PUBLISH AN ETHICAL SUPPLY CHAIN WHILE REMAINING PROFITABLE AS A COMPANY. ESTABLISH CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS AND POSITIVE REPUTATION. (2-4 years)
- PARTNER WITH LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND UNIONS. PERCENT OF PROFIT GOES TO FIGHT AGAINST SWEATSHOPS. (2-6 months)
- CREATE A GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING MOVEMENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS, AND PUBLIC EVENTS. (6-12 months)
- USE FUNDS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES AND SCHOLARSHIPS IN COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY SWEATSHOPS. (1-2 years)
- FACILITATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUR CUSTOMERS AND WOMEN ENROLLED IN OUR PROGRAMS BY CREATING VOLUNTEER AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. (1-6 months)
Summary
For our CSR campaign, EcoStyle Studios will dedicate itself to women’s labor rights and education.
We will ensure ethical practices in our company and beyond. By maintaining a transparent supply chain, we will establish ourselves as a leader in ethical fashion.
Our goal is to provide women in need with education and support. To accomplish this, we will inform the public about sweatshops, fundraise, and partner with existing labor organizations in order to establish scholarships, internships, sponsorships, and volunteer opportunities.
Works Cited
Corporate Finance Institute. (2022, November 1). Learn about the different types of stakeholders. Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/stakeholder/
Harrison, A., & Scorse, J. (2004). Moving Up or Moving Out? Anti-Sweatshop Activists and Labor Market Outcomes. National Bureau of Economic Research, 104(92). https://doi.org/10.3386/w10492
Huynh, P. (2016). Assessing the gender pay gap in Asia’s garment sector. International LabourOrganization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_466268.pdf
National Center for Employee Ownership. (2019). What Is Employee Ownership? | NCEO. Nceo.org. https://www.nceo.org/what-is-employee-ownership
PelissierWinkler, A.-L. (2014). An Exploration of Broad Employee Ownership and Responsible Stakeholder Management in B Corporations (pp. 6–43) [Graduate Thesis]. https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/44316/PDF/1/play/
Reuters. (2021, September 28). California to require garment industry to pay hourly wages to workers. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/california-require-garment-industry-pay-hourly-wages-workers-2021-09-28/
West Virginia Community and Development Office. (2022). Local Economic Development Grant (LED). Wvcad.org. https://wvcad.org/sustainability/led
Images courtesy Shutterstock
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