An Institutionalized Latent Concept, Cosmopolitan Consumer Orientation, as a Predictor of Sustainable Apparel Consumption
Date
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
This site provides free, public access to the ITAA annual conference proceedings beginning in 2015. Previous proceedings can be found by following the "Additional ITAA Proceedings" link on the left sidebar of this page.
Department
Abstract
This latent concept is scarcely used in the study of the apparel and textiles context. It has been argued that a cosmopolitan approach incorporates a more ethical, citizenship perspective, thus more responsible contribution in a global community that is not limited by country borders. To explore the potential of identifying a cosmopolitan consumer segment with positive disposition towards sustainability, this study proposes a conceptual framework to position the concept of consumer cosmopolitanism in the apparel context as a predictor of intention to purchase sustainable apparel. Firms could benefit from the knowledge that this framework provide in order to adjust consumer messages and supply chains as trends indicate that sustainability is a launch pad to reach environmentally conscious consumers and to enhance the overall brand image in developed countries. From an academic perspective, an analysis of clusters of cosmopolitan consumers in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) or CIVETS (Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa) countries, for example, would provide insights on sustainable apparel consumption.