Adolescent Generation Z and sustainable and responsible fashion consumption: exploring the value-action gap

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore whether a “value-action gap” exists between what members of the adolescent Generation Z (Gen Z) cohort value and how they act by investigating their actions related to sustainable and responsible fashion consumption (SRFC). Specific focus was placed on understanding these actions across the apparel consumption cycle, ranging from the acquisition, to use and disposal stages. Design/methodology/approach Forty-one members of Gen Z (20 males and 21 females) ranging in age from 15 to 18 participated in a total of seven focus groups. Findings Three emergent themes were identified and used to structure the interpretation: unintentionally sustainable, a knowledge conundrum and perceived barriers. Research limitations/implications The majority of focus group participants were Caucasian, and all were teenagers from a single geographical area in the Southeastern USA. Findings provided by this study offer insight regarding the SRFC habits of Gen Z relative to their concerns regarding sustainability and social and environmental responsibility. Practical implications Findings offer practitioners an opportunity to better understand how to address the needs of this generational cohort as they progress through adulthood. Originality/value Findings of this study investigate the value-action gap to offer insight into how adolescent members of Gen Z make consumption decisions, and specifically within a framework of the apparel consumption cycle as a whole, including acquisition, use and disposal. Findings also reveal some of their more general views on SRFC.

Practice theory approach to Gen Z’s sustainable clothing consumption in Finland

“…Gen Z are called "digital natives", which means that in the era of digital connectivity, social media plays an important role in spreading awareness about sustainable consumption (Khalil et al, 2021;Djafarova and Foots, 2022;Korsunova-Tsaruk et al, 2021). Scholars emphasize the role of social media platforms, such as Instagram, that enables swapping or selling their clothing and may help users become more comfortable with purchasing apparel second-hand, as the items and their sellers are familiar to them, thereby allowing participants to trust that they know where the clothing has been (Williams and Hodges, 2022). This research will look at Generation Z as consumers through the prism of their practices of following sustainable fashion.…”

“…They are less well-off than the Millennials and therefore thriftier and more entrepreneurial. As a result, Gen Z ranks climate change, income inequality and poverty as the top causes of concern and believes businesses have a social and environmental responsibility to address such challenges (Chaturvedi et al , 2020; Williams and Hodges, 2022). Members of this generational cohort are highly educated consumers with a sound understanding of environmental issues and eco-friendly products (Chaturvedi et al , 2020).…”

“…Members of this generational cohort are highly educated consumers with a sound understanding of environmental issues and eco-friendly products (Chaturvedi et al , 2020). Gen Z consumers are willing to spend more money to buy sustainable products or to buy from a sustainable company (Kim et al , 2021; Williams and Hodges, 2022; Chaturvedi et al , 2020) and will boycott those companies considered unsustainable (Williams and Hodges, 2022). At the same time, younger consumers, specifically those between the ages of 15 and 29, are the most frequent consumers of fast fashion items (Williams and Hodges, 2022).…”

“…Gen Z consumers prefer having access to products as opposed to ownership of them, resulting in a preference for sharing services (Williams and Hodges, 2022). In addition, Gen Z consumers are not brand loyal, as it is more important to them to find brands that reflect their unique style and are in alignment with their values (Williams and Hodges, 2022).…”

“…Scholars talk about the “value – action” gap (Williams and Hodges, 2022) or “attitude - behavior gap” (Djafarova and Foots, 2022; Park and Lin, 2020), both of which mean that consumers may have a positive attitude toward sustainable clothes but commonly end up not buying them. Studies mention that awareness of sustainability and circularity issues is still a problem, even among young people who are overall considered among the most well-aware consumers (Williams and Hodges, 2022; Korsunova-Tsaruk et al , 2021; Khalil et al , 2021). Lack of awareness of negative effects of the fashion industry leads to unsustainable consumer behavior in fashion (McNeil and Moore, 2015).…”