Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçlarının Çok Uluslu Hazır Giyim Şirketlerine Entegrasyonu

Abstract

Amaç – Günümüzün hızla değişen dünyasında yoksulluk, eşitsizlik, iklim değişikliği ve çatışma gibi küresel zorluklar, koordineli ve sürdürülebilir yanıtlar gerektirmektedir. Çok uluslu şirketler, Birleşmiş Milletler'in Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Hedefleri (SKH) aracılığıyla herkes için daha iyi ve daha sürdürülebilir bir gelecek elde etmek için önemli paydaşlar olarak gösterilmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, giyim sektörlerindeki iki küresel moda liderinin sürdürülebilirlik entegrasyonunu ve bu SKH'lere ulaşmanın önündeki temel engelleri araştırmaktır. Tasarım/veri/metodoloji – Bu çalışma, giyim sektöründe faaliyet gösteren iki çok uluslu şirketin sürdürülebilirlik entegrasyonunu, ikincil verilerin nicel içerik analizi ve ardından tematik analiz kullanılarak gerçekleştirilen nitel keşfedici analizden oluşan karma yöntem yaklaşımıyla incelemektedir. Bulgular – Sonuçlar, her iki şirketin de küresel stratejilerine uygun olarak sürdürülebilirlik sorunlarını farklı düzeylerde merkezileştirdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Buna karşılık, Açlığa Son, Sudaki Yaşam ve Karasal Yaşam gibi SKH’lere yönelik girişimlerin eksikliği bulunmaktadır. Bulgular, SKH'lere ulaşmada kaydedilen ilerlemelere rağmen, küresel tedarik zincirlerinin, kurumsal sürdürülebilirlik stratejilerinin sıklıkla doğrudan tedarikçilerin ötesine ulaşamaması nedeniyle, çevresel bozulmanın ve sosyal eşitsizliğin önemli bir kaynağı olmaya devam ettiğini göstermektedir. Sonuçlara dayanarak, çalışma SKH’nin entegrasyonunun önündeki potansiyel engeller ve zorluklar tartışmaktadır. Özgünlük/değer- Bu çalışma, giyim sektörünün açıklamalarına dayanarak sürdürülebilirlik çabaları ve karşılaştığı zorluklara odaklanarak literatüre katkı sağlamaktadır. Ayrıca, çalışma politika yapıcılara teşvikler ve düzenlemeler tasarlamaları konusunda bilgi sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• SKH
• ÇUŞ
• Sürdürülebilirlik

Integration of Sustainable Development Goals in Multinational Apparel Companies

Abstract

Purpose: In today’s rapidly changing world, global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change and conflict require coordinated and sustainable responses. MNEs are significant stakeholders that are addressed for these issues through Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The aim of the study is to explore sustainability integration of two global fashion leaders in apparel sectors and main barriers for achieving these SDGs. Design/data/methodology- This study examines the sustainability integration of two multinational companies in the apparel sector by employing a mixed-methods approach: a quantitative content analysis of secondary data, followed by a qualitative exploratory analysis using thematic analysis. Findings– The results reveal that both companies centralize sustainability issues at different levels in accordance with their global strategy. In contrast, there is a lack of initiatives of SDGs such as Zero Hunger, Life Below Water, and Life on Land. The findings show that despite advancement for achieving SDGs, global supply chains remain a major source of environmental degradation and social inequality, as cooperate sustainable strategies often fail to extend beyond immediate suppliers. Based on the results, the study discusses the potential barriers and challenges for SDGs integration Originality/value- The study contributes the literature by focusing apparel industry’s sustainability efforts and challenges based on their disclosures. Also, the study informs policy makers to design incentives and regulations.

Keywords

• sustainability
• MNEs
• SDGs

References

1. Amos, D., & Uniamikogbo, E. (2016). Sustainability and environmental disclosures. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 6(4), 45–55.
2. Amran, A., Lee, S. P., & Selvaraj, S. (2013). The influence of governance structure and strategic corporate social responsibility toward sustainability reporting quality. Business Strategy and the Environment, 22(4), 223–243. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1767
3. Apaydın Avşar, B., & Belgin, Ö. (2023). Analyzing Efficiency and Productivity Changes of Turkish Textile Firms. Textile and Apparel, 33(3), 294-304. https://doi.org/10.32710/tekstilvekonfeksiyon.1085186
4. Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
5. Baumgartner, R. J. (2014). Managing corporate sustainability and CSR: A conceptual framework combining values, strategies and instruments contributing to sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 21(5), 258–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1336
6. Baumgartner, R. J., & Ebner, D. (2010). Corporate sustainability strategies: Sustainability profiles and maturity levels. Sustainable Development, 18(2), 76–89. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.447
7. Baumgartner, R. J., & Rauter, R. (2016). Strategic perspectives of corporate sustainability management to develop a sustainable organization. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.146
8. Bick, R., Halse, A., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17(1), Article 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

9. Binns C, Lee MK, Low WY, Zerfas A. The Role of Public Health Nutrition in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia Pacific Region. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health. 2017;29(7):617-624. doi:10.1177/1010539517736441
10. Biswas, S. (2015). Rana Plaza: Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-22476774
11. Bocken, N. M., & Geradts, T. H. (2020). Barriers and drivers to sustainable business model innovation: Organization design and dynamic capabilities. Long range planning, 53(4), 101950.
12. Bodenheimer, M. (2018). Transition towards socially sustainable behavior? An analysis of the garment sector (No. S07/2018). Working Paper Sustainability and Innovation.
13. Borland, H. (2009). Conceptualising global strategic sustainability and corporate transformational change. International Marketing Review, 26(4/5), 554–572. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330910971905
14. Borland, H., & Lindgreen, A. (2013). Sustainability, epistemology, ecocentric business, and marketing strategy: Ideology, reality, and vision. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(1), 173–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1519-8
15. Bossavie, L., Cho, Y., & Heath, R. (2023). The Rana Plaza disaster: Labor market impacts and policy implications. World Bank. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099420404122319751
16. Burritt, R. L., Christ, K. L., Rammal, H. G., & Schaltegger, S. (2020). Multinational enterprise strategies for addressing sustainability: The need for consolidation. Journal of Business Ethics, 164(2), 389-410.
17. Cappellaro, G. (2014). Institutional theory and healthcare organizations: From institutional logics to institutional work. In G. Gibbons (Ed.), Handbook of Health Administration (pp. 71–85). Routledge.
18. Chowdhury, M. M. H., Rahman, S., Quaddus, M. A., & Shi, Y. (2023). Strategies to mitigate barriers to supply chain sustainability: an apparel manufacturing case study. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 38(4), 869-885.
19. Claudio, L. (2007). Waste couture: Environmental impact of the clothing industry. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(9), A449–A454. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.115-a449
20. Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage publications.
21. DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.
22. D. Marshall, L. McCarthy, P. McGrath, M. ClaudyGoing above and beyond: How sustainability culture and entrepreneurial orientation drive social sustainability supply chain practice adoption Supply Chain Management, 20 (2015), 10.1108/SCM-08-2014-0267
23. Dzombak, R. (2020). Patagonia and the business of saving the planet. Harvard Business School Case No. 420-013.
24. Eang, L., Eng, S., & Leng, P. (2022). The role of multinational corporations in achieving SDGs: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Business and Development Research, 10(1), 34–47.
25. Ecevit, M. Z. (2023). Sustainability promises of Turkish origin apparel brands in the context of greenwashing. GSU Managerial and Social Sciences Letters, 1(1), 30-43.
26. Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984
27. Eccles, R. G., Johnstone-Louis, M., Mayer, C., & Stroehle, J. C. (2020). The board’s role in sustainability: A new framework for getting directors behind ESG efforts. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/01/the-boards-role-in-sustainability
28. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2021). Circular economy and textiles. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-and-textiles
29. Elkington, J., & Rowlands, I. H. (1999). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Alternatives Journal, 25(4), 42.
30. Elkington, J. (2013). Enter the triple bottom line. In The triple bottom line (pp. 1-16). Routledge.
31. Earthsight. (2024, April 11). Fashion Crimes: European retail giants linked to dirty Brazilian cotton [Investigative report]. Earthsight. Retrieved from https://www.earthsight.org.uk/fashion-crimes
32. Engert, S., Rauter, R., & Baumgartner, R. J. (2016). Exploring the integration of corporate sustainability into strategic management: A literature review. Journal of cleaner production, 112, 2833-2850.
33. European Commission. (2022). EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. European Commission. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0141
34. Fligstein, N. (1997). Social skill and institutional theory. American Behavioral Scientist, 40(4), 397–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764297040004003
35. Fry, L. W., & Egel, E. (2021). Global leadership for sustainability. Sustainability, 13(11), 6360.
36. Ghauri, P. (2022). Multinational enterprises and sustainable development goals: An institutional approach. Journal of World Business, 57(4), 101312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2022.101312
37. Grand View Research. (2024). Textile market size, share & trends analysis report. Grand View Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/textile-market
38. Griggs, D., Stafford-Smith, M., Gaffney, O., Rockström, J., Öhman, M. C., Shyamsundar, P., … & Noble, I. (2013). Sustainable development goals for people and planet. Nature, 495(7441), 305–307. https://doi.org/10.1038/495305a
39. Hahn, T., Figge, F., Pinkse, J., & Preuss, L. (2010). Trade‐offs in corporate sustainability: You can't have your cake and eat it. Business strategy and the environment, 19(4), 217-229.
40. Hansen, T. (interviewer), & Chouinard, Y. (interviewee). (2023, April 20). Patagonia shows how turning a profit doesn’t have to cost the Earth [Interview]. McKinsey & Company.
41. Hiywotu, A. M. (2025). Advancing sustainable agriculture for goal 2: zero hunger - a comprehensive overview of practices, policies, and technologies. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 49(7), 1027–1055. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2025.2451344
42. Huda, T. (2024). Interview: Rana Plaza and the failure of justice. Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/04/bangladesh-rana-plaza-ten-years-on/
43. IHKIB, (2023). [Report on Turkish textile industry]. Istanbul Ready-Made Garment Exporters’ Association. (IHKIB, 2023)
44. International Labour Organization. (2023). Global employment trends in textiles and clothing sector. International Labour Organization.
45. Inditex, (2022). Annual report 2022. https://www.inditex.com/en/investors/investor-relations/annual-reports International Labour Organization (ILO). (2015). Bangladesh: Labour law reform. https://www.ilo.org/dhaka/Whatwedo/Projects/lang–en/docName–WCMS_403265/index.htm
46. Kates, R. W., & Dasgupta, P. (2007). African poverty: A grand challenge for sustainability science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(43), 16747–16750. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0708566104
47. Khan, M., Behrendt, K., Papadas, D., & Arnold, L. (2025). Strategic sustainable development: The role of intermediaries in managing the sustainability compliance of a multi‐tier crop agri‐food supply chain. A developing economy perspective. Sustainable Development, 33(1), 992-1013. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3159
48. Khan, M. M. A., Alam, M. J., Saha, S., & Sayem, A. (2024). Critical barriers to adopt sustainable manufacturing practices in medium-sized ready-made garment manufacturing enterprises and their mitigation strategies. Heliyon, 10(20). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39195
49. Khanna, T., & Palepu, K. (1997). Why focused strategies may be wrong for emerging markets. Harvard Business Review, 75(4), 41–51.
50. International Monetary Fund. (2020). Chapter 5: Corporate sustainability. In Global financial stability report: Bridge to recovery (pp. 95–115). International Monetary Fund. https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/book/9781513554228/ch005.xml
51. Kleespies, M., & Dierkes, M. (2022). Corporate SDG implementation: Mapping the field and future research directions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(2), 835–850.
52. Kolk, A. (2008). Sustainability, accountability and corporate governance: exploring multinationals' reporting practices. Business strategy and the environment, 17(1), 1-15.
53. Kolk, A., Kourula, A., & Pisani, N. (2017). Multinational enterprises and the sustainable development goals: What do we know and how to proceed? Transnational Corporations, 24(3), 9–32.
54. Kreinin, H., & Aigner, E. (2021). SDG implementation by MNCs: A global governance challenge. Global Policy, 12(S6), 12–20.
55. Kumar, S., Luthra, S., Govindan, K., Kumar, N., & Haleem, A. (2016). Barriers in green lean six sigma product development process: an ISM approach. Production Planning & Control, 27(7-8), 604-620.
56. Linnenluecke, M. K., & Griffiths, A. (2010). Corporate sustainability and organizational culture. Journal of World Business, 45(4), 357–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.08.006
57. LC Waikiki. (n.d.). Sustainability initiatives. https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-US/sustainability
58. Marano, V., Tashman, P., Kostova, T., & Zaheer, S. (2023). The institutional challenges of managing global supply chains for sustainability. Journal of International Business Studies, 54(3), 410–429. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00571-4
59. Masanpally, M., Bhattacharjee, T., & Butt, T. E. (2025). Sustainable development goals and the implications of business responsibility. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 44(1), e14517.
60. McKinsey & Company. (2023). The state of fashion 2023. McKinsey & Company. (McKinsey & Company, 2023) Munir, K. A. (2019). Institutional theory and corporate social responsibility: A review. Academy of Management Perspectives, 33(2), 78–94.
61. Neuman, W. L. (2007). Basics of social research.
62. Patagonia. (2024). Worn Wear program and corporate sustainability practices. https://www.patagonia.com/worn-wear/
63. Schaltegger, S., (2011). Sustainability as a driver for corporate economic success. Consequences for development of sustainability management control. Society and Economy. 33(1), 15–28.
64. Shen, B., & Mikschovsky, M. (2018). Introduction to fashion supply chain management in Asia. In B. Shen, Q. Gu, & Y. Yang (Eds.), Fashion supply chain management in Asia: Concepts, models, and cases (pp. 1-17). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2294-5_1
65. Siddiqui, J., & Uddin, S. (2016). Human rights disasters, corporate accountability and the state: Lessons learned from Rana Plaza. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 29(4), 679–704. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-07-2015-2151
66. Sinkovics, N., Hoque, S. F., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2016). Rana Plaza collapse aftermath: Are CSR compliance and auditing pressures effective? Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 29(4), 617–649. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-07-2015-2141
67. Slaper, T. F., & Hall, T. J. (2011). The triple bottom line: What is it and how does it work? Indiana Business Review, 86(1), 4–8.
68. Statista. (2024). Apparel market value worldwide from 2012 to 2025. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/279757/apparel-market-size-worldwide
69. Textile Today.(2024). Trends in global textile and apparel trade. Textile Today. https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/
70. The True Cost Documentary. (2015). The hidden costs of fast fashion. https://truecostmovie.com/
71. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
72. Öz, Ö. (2001). Sources of competitive advantage of Turkish construction companies in international markets. Construction Management and Economics, 19(2), 135-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190010009988
73. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). (2024). World investment report 2024. UNCTAD. https://unctad.org/publications
74. United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 14: Life below water. The Global Goals. https://globalgoals.org/goals/14-life-below-water/
75. Van der Waal, J. W. H., Thijssens, T., & Maas, K. (2020). Corporate involvement in sustainable development goals: Exploring the territory. Journal of Cleaner Production, 252, 119625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119625
76. Van Zanten, J. A., & Van Tulder, R. (2018). Multinational enterprises and the Sustainable Development Goals: An institutional approach to corporate engagement. Journal of International Business Policy, 1(3), 208–233. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-018-0008-x
77. Ventura, L. (2016). Green marketing impact on a company’s success: Studying the case of Patagonia. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24471.52641
78. Willmott, H. (2010). Creating value beyond the point of production: Branding, financialization and market capitalization. Organization, 17(5), 517–542. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508410363121
79. World Bank. (2024). World development indicators. World Bank. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators
80. Yalcin, C. (2022). LC Waikiki’s sustainability narrative: A critical view. Turkish Journal of Business Ethics, 15(2), 112–126.