Beyond Novelty and Growth

A Virtue Ethics Enquiry into Fashion Entrepreneurs’ Responsible and Harmonising Practices Towards Sustainability

Bibliographic Data

ID21465124
AuthorsAndrea Werner (0000-0003-3746-7248, Middlesex University, corresponding author), Patrick Elf (0000-0001-7420-4434, Middlesex University), Fergus Lyons (0000-0002-6275-4102, Middlesex University), Ian Vickers (0000-0001-5863-969X, Middlesex University)
Year2025
Volume196
Issue4
Pages845-861
Publication date2025-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Business Ethics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0167-4544 • E-ISSN: 1573-0697
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10551-024-05875-w
OpenAlexW4404917678
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited59

A growing number of small fashion entrepreneurs seek to offer an alternative to the mainstream fashion industry, which, in its obsession with novelty and growth, often ignores the costs to society and the environment. There is a need to develop a deeper understanding of how these fashion entrepreneurs may be agents for change in their industry. Using rich data from an in-depth study of 27 UK-based entrepreneurs, we offer such analysis, drawing on a novel framework that combines MacIntyre’s virtue ethics scheme and Jonas’s responsibility imperative. We identify key virtues—passionate commitment, authenticity, humility, sharing and empowering, and temperance—which shape the entrepreneurs’ practices in line with their accepted and perceived responsibility for sustainability. These virtues shape the entrepreneurial processes that seek an active negotiation and harmonisation of sustainability and the demands of business. In particular, we pay attention to the different ways in which fashion entrepreneurs take responsibility for sustainability which ranges from a ‘growth for impact’ strategy to staying small and seeking impact through influence and replication. Conclusions are drawn on conceptualising the varieties of ‘postgrowth entrepreneurship’ that aligns the virtues of a deep-rooted sense of responsibility with business goals. This shows what can be possible and prefigures an alternative fashion industry

Business · Business ethics · Corporate social responsibility · Corporate sustainability · Engineering ethics · Environmental ethics · Novelty · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Quality of Life Research · Sociology · Sustainability · Virtue · Virtue ethics · Engineering · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Ethics in Business and Education · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Law · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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