An individual report on IRM, social media and the ethically informed

global supply chain.

Submitted by: Mushfiqur Rahman
ID: @00605836
Email: M.Rahman13@edu.salford.ac.uk

Date of submission: 18th December, 2020

 Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................1

The role of social media platforms as mechanism to enhance communications with external
customers....................................................................................................................................1

How social media platforms can be employed to aid relationship development within a
business to consumer relationship arena....................................................................................3

How private sector fashion enterprises can ensure that all global supply chain activities
adhere to business practices that are clean, ethically informed and sustainable and keeping in
mind the importance of being legally compliant with all operational practices associated with
workers' rights within the apparel supply chain industries........................................................4

An Apparel Industry's Supply Chain......................................................................................4

Figure 1: Supply chain model of the apparel industry...........................................................5

Figure 2: Porter's value chain.................................................................................................6

Figure 3: The fashion supply chain: a stakeholder map.........................................................7

External factors.......................................................................................................................8

Internal factors........................................................................................................................8

Recommendations......................................................................................................................9

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
Introduction
As a European consultant with its headquarters in Switzerland discussed by the European
external customer, my job is to identify objectively in this report how social media networks
can be used to strengthen business-to-community ties in the sense of the global supply chain
and to take account of a global supply chain and its ethical, sustainable practices.

The role of social media platforms as mechanism to enhance

communications with external customers

Because of the massive growth of social media, the organization's practitioners have
essentially outstripped social media websites' scientific research. The latest investigations on
the subject cover a broad range of areas, but most aspects of this research relate particularly
to Facebook. (Roth, Bobko, Van Iddekinge, & Thatcher, 2012a) (Wilson, Gosling, &
Graham, 2012). The internet networks such as Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
are gradually being viewed, and their interactions are more likely to continue on the virtual
network. Social networking has been introduced as an important tool that contributes to
companies' marketing objectives and strategies, especially in consumer-implicated aspects,
customer relations, and communication (PHILO et al., 2015; Saxena & Khanna 2013). In
general, s. (Alalwan et al. 2016a, Dwivedi et al. 2015, Rathore et al. 2016, Taylor et al. 2011,
Zhu & Chen 2015) (Billings, 2014; Hardin, 2014; Hutchins, 2014; Sanderson, 2014). Social
networking allows companies to meet and establish a successful relationship with foreign and
distant consumers (Park and Kim, 2014). Social media works like a big mouth writing
machine and catalyzes and accelerates the so-called viral dissemination of data (Chan and
Ngai, 2011; Dellarocas, 2003; Godes and Mayzlin, 2004; Jalilvand and Samiei, 2012). These
amplifiers provide consumers with word-of-mouth retrofitting and incorporate content more
observable than other types of online advertisement (Neff, 2010). Social media can raise
brand awareness and build (Fanion, 2011; New Media Age, 2010). Social networking tools
make it possible for businesses to reach millions of people. Since many people visit social
media, the visibility of the brand in both of these networks will help educate people and
familiarize themselves with the business and build awareness of their products (O'Flynn,
2012). Social networks will increase sales (New Media Age, 2010). It would probably
generate traffic for the website and allow more online sales as people visit a product page via
social media. Sony revealed in February 2012 that it had received an additional million

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pounds in Twitter revenue. Similarly, in June 2012, Dell also revealed that revenue from its
presence on Twitter rose to three million dollars (O'Flynn, 2012).
Content People can share their blogs, personal and social media interactions are
really adaptive. Video is an effective medium to convey messages and can
be used in social networking sites. There are still a lot of followers on
interesting videos with lovely content. There are also two ways to do this,
along with blog posts, share one's articles with you. One of these things is
to post the link, and the other is to make and share a document with the
members of this community on the Facebook Group. If the conferences are
interesting, and according to the subject, they will be one of the most
helpful blogs, you can share news about the webinars. Item posts
optimistic messages in order to crack the negative cage between the
people.
Context Social networks enable more than ever insight into the context from
which the customers come. Brands can provide consumers with unique
services based on the venue, interest, psychographics, etc. It provides
users with an insight into topics such as check-ins, tweets or social
networks.
Commerce Social trade is its e-sector component. Social exchange, in the sense of E-
commerce or even smartphone trading, is social networking. In 2005,
Yahoo introduced the term describing online shopping resources and
content sharing in every way. You must be in a position, whether B2C or
B2B, to meet consumer needs through a transactional web presence.
Before a customer hits the real purchasing part, make sure your sales
funnel doesn't require several clicks or on-page searches.
Connection Any interaction with a potential customer is worth getting. Whether it's
technical, social or casual, social networks allow you to communicate
with other people and provide opportunities to build and sustain
relationships.
Community A particular geographical location refers to a community; this
conventional (offline) meaning has been changed to online communities,
but now there are large online communities established by
telecommunications utilities, computers, systems and social network
services in general. Community ideas, links, connectivity fused multiple
offline conventional communities globally into a single global online

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 community. In the modern technological age, community reach has
become a global community scope.
Conversatio The challenge is to understand what you are selling from online
n conversations. Intelligent advertisers are searching for customers who
would like to purchase their goods or services. Functional social media
like "Like is a great place to start. All of them are still relevant, but 2017
is now. Marketers are more aware of how important social media and
technology are to update and effectively sustain an electronic commerce
strategy.

(A 10 C's of Social Networking, interconnections and the impact on Social Networking -

IEEE Conference Publication, 2020)

2020. [online] Available at: <https://vwm.com/blog/8-cs-of-social-commerce/> [Accessed 18

December 2020].

How social media platforms can be employed to aid relationship

development within a business to consumer relationship arena

Salespeople and administrators alike have attracted the attention of social media. A recent
survey by salespeople from Ogilvy found that nearly half of the buyers saw their position in
the purchasing process increase in social media (Featherstonebaugh 2010). Social media have
various explanations and meanings in the absence of any disciplinary lens. In a wider sense,
social media was described by and between people as digital content and network-based
interactions (Cohen 2011). Kaplan and Haenlein have described social media as a group of
Internet applications based on web 2.0 ideology and technology, enabling the creation and
exchange of user-generated content" (2010, p. 61). Researchers argue that people have used
social media "to participate in social networks, allowing them to develop and share content,
to communicate and to build links" (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2010, p. 312). Recent research
responds to sales researchers' call for studying mechanisms that connect technology usage
with relationship performance (Ahearne et al. 2008; Hunter and Perreault 2007; Rapp,
Agnihotri, and Forbes 2008). The loyalty of consumers has grown into "strategic
imperatives" for companies as "commitments and recommendations on specific products,
services and brands play an important role in viral marketing" (Brodie et al. 2011, p. 252).

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Salespersons oriented to their customers also tried new ways of communicating and
collaborating with customers in order to build value together (Jones, Busch and Dacin 2003)
(Brodie et al. 2011). Bowden (2009) takes a psychological approach and argues that
consumer commitment (1) requires measurement and purchasing commitment; (2)
contributes to emotional commitment, which forms the foundation for buyers' loyalty, and (3)
increases buyers' engagement and confidence. Brodie et al.'s conceptualization of it as
psychological notes that client interaction consists of interactive client interactions
incorporated into co-creative value-enhancing connections. The process of establishing,
sustaining and enhancing mutually beneficial long-term relationships through interactions can
be defined as (Harwood, Garry, & Broderick, 2008). Great nervousness (2011, p. 244).

How private sector fashion enterprises can ensure that all global supply
chain activities adhere to business practices that are clean, ethically
informed and sustainable and keeping in mind the importance of being
legally compliant with all operational practices associated with workers'
rights within the apparel supply chain industries.

An Apparel Industry's Supply Chain

The garment industry is also among the longest and most fragmented supply chains in the
world. There are many intermediaries between the fabrics and final clients (Baskaran et al.,
2012). A short product lifecycle, high demand volatility and several inventory units define
this industry (Bonacich and Appelbaum, 2000; Jin, 2004). Consequently, high storage costs,
downgrades, and increased inventory transport costs suffer to the industry (De Brito et al.,
2008). Moreover, supply chains in the apparel industry are particularly vulnerable to the three
aspects of sustainable development (Seuring and Müller, 2008). Due to the importance of
clothing for a nation's economy, several studies have investigated its role in sustainable
development (Baskaran et al., 2012; De Brito et al., 2008; Caniato et al., 2012; Wu et al.,
2012). Today, exports of Indian textiles and garments amount to 40.2 billion dollars, with a
global proportion of 17.5%. The minister of clothing contributes 14% to industrial
production, 4% to GDP and provides direct jobs for more than 35 million people, according
to the annual report from the Ministry of Textiles (Diabat et al., 2014). The inhuman work
conditions and environmental degradation have been the liability in recent years of
manufacturers of apparel (Chamberlain, 2010). Global clothing companies (e.g., H&M,
Marks & Spencer, Nike, Tesco, Timberland and Wal-Mart) have committed to creating
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sustainable support strategies for the supply chain. These global players' initiatives added
pressure to build a sustainable supply chain for Indian apparel producers and their
subsidiaries. The industry cannot continue to remain a silent spectator with a global paradigm
change towards cleaner and greener processes (Shaw et al., 2012). The Indian apparel
industry partners must implement sustainable supply chain management practices in order to
prevent negative publicity and demonstrate they are responsible corporate citizens (Baskaran
et al., 2012; De Brito et al., 2008). In the textile industry, the supply chain is complex. The
supply chain is always relatively long, involving many parties (Jones, 2002). Therefore a
sophisticated supply chain management is necessary to minimize lead times and achieve a
rapid response, stressing that an agility approach must be implemented. Retailers are also
associated with suppliers, organized transactions and substantial price, quality and delivery
schedules agreements (Bruce and Moger, 1999). Besides, Popp (2000) indicates that an
intermediary, often an importation or export agency, is a major figure within the chain in
many chains. As a result of increased globalization in the sector, the intermediary has been
introduced. The globalization of the supply chain for textiles and clothing intensifies with
many businesses supplying components from abroad or shifting to countries at a lower cost
(Jones, 2002). Moreover, the fashion industry has a range of variables, including a short
lifecycle, high uncertainty, low predictability and a high push buy (Fernie and Sparks, 1998).

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Figure 1: Supply chain model of the apparel industry. 2020. [online] Available
at: <https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sustainable-make-to-order-apparel-supply-chain-
model-with-CCSP_fig3_321988636> [Accessed 18 December 2020].

Figure 2: Porter's value chain. M, P., 2020. What Is Porter's Value Chain? Definition,
VCA, Value Chain Activities, Using VCA Tool, Importance, Limitations - The Investors Book.
[online] The Investors Book. Available at: <https://theinvestorsbook.com/porters-value-
chain.html> [Accessed 18 December 2020].

The EU Commission influences companies in their "adoption of a long-term strategic

approach on CSR and discovery of opportunities to build innovative that contribute to social
well-being and lead to higher levels of quality and more productive employment (European
Commission 2011: 8). As a significant cross-functional necessity, the Commission considers
the growth of social and environmental responsibility within the value-chain and the
consideration of non-financial indicators (Schneider 2012: 21). Consequently, sustainability
must be strategically approached. The goal is for new products and services and creative
business models to have competitive advantages on the market. Therefore, economic
efficiency and sustainability are no longer opposites, but two sides of the same coin
(Schmidpeter 2013: 16). Countless developments are important to encourage businesses to
take responsibility for their impact on society," not outside the core business, but to take
responsibility for the core business and to step away from the voluntary approach advocated
date.

Inadvertently, the inability to be ethically conscious and committed to moral soundness may
lead to moral hypocrisy. If the difference between who we believe we are and what we do is

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present, a lack of ethical consistency is implied. The idea of living the best ethical self is
intended to support the objective of personal growth and development of adults (Roberts et
al. 2005). It encompasses topics such as compliance with legal law, philanthropy and
community investment, environmental protection, labor rights and welfare, business
partnerships, corruption and corporate governance CSR is a broad term (Blowfield & Murray,
2008). De Bakker et al. (2005) studied CSR and corporate social performance (CSP) study
and theories over 30 years (1972–2002). They noted that CSR and CSP literature appear to be
cumulative. Scholars build on each other's efforts to update ideas and testing theories and
propose new systems and new relationships. In the sense of content analysis, Alcañiz et al.
(2010) studied the CSR area's epistemological growth in management and commercialization.
They analyzed the evolution of CSR literature problems and found that CSR, as a core
component, has increasingly developed in both the area of knowledge; however, management
has published more theoretical papers than marketing papers; theoretical marketing papers
also depend on managing expertise. A wide number of issues, including CSR
communication, include incorporating corporate social responsibility in corporate policy and
activities (Dawkins, 2004; Türkel et al., 2015). CSR communication is a philosophy that
combines public relations, marketing, management and organizational communication
communications communication with social problems (van Riel, 1995).

Figure 3: The fashion supply chain: a stakeholder map (EURATEX, 2004).

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Consumers with an ethical outlook today focus on environmental, social health and animal
welfare issues (Carrigan, Szmigin, & Wright, 2004; Cooper-Martin & Holbrook, 1993). It
would seem that the contradiction between the terms ethic and mode could not be greater by
adding the idea of ethical fashion. The fashion industry is characterized by short product
cycles and hedonist customers (Lundblad & Davies, 2016), while ethical mood seeks to
reduce the environmental impact by using organic or biodegradable cotton and to optimize
employees profit by avoiding sweatshop and integrating equal conditions of employment
(Ethical Fashion Forum, 2016; Lundblad & Davies, 2016). (4) avoiding hazardous chemicals,
such as toxic products; (5) using green materials;(6) minimizing the use of water; (7)
recycling and incorporation of energy; Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF, 2016) recognizes ten
requirements for ethic mode, namely: (1) counteracting quick mode and its damaging impact;
2) promoting fair pay, working standards and workers' rights; (3) ensuring sustainable
livelihoods; Ethical fashion is often exchangeable in literature with sustainable,
environmental or green fashion (Henninger, Alevizou, & Oates, 2016).

External factors

External influences, depending on economic, institutional, social and cultural aspects, may
affect individuals' ethical decision-making. Included are economic conditions. In making a
buying decision, Bray et al. (2010) established that the price is a key factor. As individuals
mainly take account of the greatest profit, they keep up their concern for the environment and
prefer lower prices according to their limited budgets at the time of purchase (Balderjahn,
2013). However, suppose customers do not see any substantial tangible reward. In that case,
they fail to grasp the rationale for higher prices, ethical alternatives are ignored and retain
their usual buying behavior, and the product is manufactured locally (Bray et al., 2010).

Internal factors

Ethical options are mostly a matter of self-willingness to adjust habits of consumption. Brand
loyal customers are less likely to shift towards an ethnic brand through their loyalty to
particular products and their corresponding versatility in shifting towards ethical alternatives
(Bray et al., 2010; Papaoikonomou et al., 2010). Therefore the degree of brand loyalty is
central to the final purchase decision. In addition, brand loyalty can lead to the selective
processing of information. Extremely loyal consumers appear to disregard their favorite

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brands and do not consider bad practices such as sweatshop conditions. Engaged customers
are more likely to trust and believe in good business behavior. Therefore, the collection of
information leads to a skewed interpretation, which results in a more elastic ethical approach
(Papaoikonomou et al., 2010). Awareness of the climate. Sufficient decision-making requires
a thorough understanding of the situations and circumstances involved (Sproles & Badenhop,
1978). The media is a critical source of knowledge for consumers, and while people have
some context information about ethical goods, misunderstanding – and skepticism – remains
prevalent when considering ethical alternatives (Carrigan & Attalla, 2001). The availability
of comprehensive and usable information also confuses and overwhelms customers with
existing data. Bray and others have also shown that customers consider that firms use ethical
arguments only for marketing, justify higher pricing, raise their profit, and obtain a
competitive advantage, according to an exploratory study (2010). This is an expression of
cynicism representing the poor or incomplete level of customer awareness (Bray et al., 2010),
which generates ethical and immoral firms' stereotypes (Papaoikonomou et al., 2010). People
are uncertain whether small pieces of information are trustworthy and prefer to avoid
businesses that are being put under poor pressure for unethical conduct since it seems simpler
to look for ethical goods than proactive (Bray et al., 2010).

Recommendations

 Building, an understanding of Sustainable business models (SBM) calls for value ties
to be included beyond that shared between consumers and companies (Abdelkafi and
Tauscher, 2016; Evans et al., 2017).
 Total consumption of clothing is projected to rise by 63%, from 62 million tons today
to 102 million tons by 2030 (Pulse of the fashion industry, 2017). More effort needs
to be increased to make clothing products recyclable because the high water
consumption of clothing products and wastewater is needed for the production and
contamination of clothing and preparation chemicals (Fletcher, 2016; Kant, 2012;
Pulse of the Fashion Industry, 2017).
 Research indicates that virtual communities become essential customer-knowledge
networks that impact consumer behavior (Fotis, el at, 2012) (DeValck et al., 2009) so
that the clothing is more productive for young people between 20 and 25 years of age
who choose to use social media in these days to buy it.

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  By enhancing the amount of contents which are posted and shared with consumers on
the social media sites, firms are more able to increase the amount of interactivity and
association with their customers and it can be used for frequently to engage with the
demogaphs related to 20-25 year old demographs as they are more active on the social
media sites. (i.e. Hambrick, 2012; Sanderson and Hambrick, 2012; Eagleman, 2013;
McCarthy et al., 2014; Pronschinske et al., 2012)

Conclusion

Consumer experiences occurs through the exposure of marketing communication and

advertising, it consists of communication or contacting through the websites (Brakus
et al., 2009). Marketing communication via a brand’s social media platforms can also
be formed through brand experience (Lee & Jeong, 2014). Marketing managers use
social media for brand communication and to create customer experiences as well as
feedbacks from their consumers (Tuten & Solomon, 2015). Thus, SM has been
integrated into the marketing communication mix (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). The
increasing number of consumers is also using SM to acquire information about brands
(Laroche, Habibi, & Richard, 2013).

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