Abstract
The practice of ‘greenwashing’ may be characterized as the fabrication of green claims by organizations to portray a positive image. Greenwashing has not been examined in the United Arab Emirates, and the fashion sector is considered the second largest consumer of harmful chemicals, excessive water use, and non-compliant waste management practices behind the oil and gas sector. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with fast fashion consumers in the UAE, an exploratory qualitative inquiry was conducted with a focus on the ‘seven sins of greenwashing’ and ‘competitive altruism’ theories and the consumer perceptions of green claims made by major apparel manufacturing and retail firms in the UAE were investigated. A conceptual framework was developed to better understand the nature of corporate altruistic behavior and perceived advantages of green initiatives. The exploratory qualitative inquiry used for this study provided a great opportunity for gathering detailed information on consumer perceptions of greenwashing practices in the UAE. Future research and statistical representation are needed to cross reference the data and test the framework suggested here.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
We wish to confirm that the data being reported is accurate and due consideration has been given to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication.
Code availability
We wish to confirm that the software used for data analysis is NVivo 12, we can also confirm that the NVivo coding and analysis is available and can be produced for verification anytime based on request.
References
1 Million Women. (2016). H&M’s 'World Recycle Week' Is Not A Noble Initiative. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/hm-worldrecycle-week-featuring-mia-not-for-the-right-reasons/
Aji, H. M., & Sutikno, B. (2015). The extended consequences of greenwashing: Perceived consumer skepticism. International Journal of Business and Information, 10(4), 433–468.
Amos, C., Allred, A. & Zhang, L. (2017). Do Biodegradable Labels Lead to an Eco-safety Halo Effect?. Journal of Consumer Policy, 40, 279–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-017-9355-y
Andreoli, T. P., Crespo, A., & Minciotti, S. (2017). What has been (short) written about greenwashing: A bibliometric research and a critical analysis of the articles found regarding this theme. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental 11(2), 54–10. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v11i2.1294
Bansal, P., & Roth, K. (2000). Why companies go green: A model of ecological responsiveness. The Academy of Management Journal, 43(4), 717–736.
Barclay, P. (2004). Trustworthiness and competitive altruism can also solve the tragedy of the commons. Evolution and Human Behavior, 25, 209–220.
Beder, S. (2009). Drowning in Greenwash. Alive Australia, 58–61.
Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 19(92), 1–4.
Bodkin, C. D., Amato, L. H., & Amato, C. H. (2015). The influence of green advertising during a corporate disaster. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(3), 256–275. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-08-2014-0055
Brain, E. (2019). H&M Norway Called out for "Greenwashing" Conscious Collection Marketing. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://hypebeast.com/2019/8/h-m-conscious-collection-greenwashing-sustainability-norwegian-consumer-authority
Bromley, P., & Powell, W. W. (2012). From smoke and mirrors to walking the talk: Decoupling in the contemporary world. Academy of Management annals, 6(1), 483–530.
Brouwer, A. (2016). Revealing greenwashing: A consumer's perspective. ERIC.
Budinsky, J., & Bryant, S. (2013). It's not easy being green: The greenwashing of environmental discourses in advertising. Canadian Journal of Communication, 38(2), 207–226. https://doi.org/10.22230/cjc.2013v38n2a2628
Carson, D., Gilmore, A., Perry, C., & Gronhaug, K. (2001). Qualitative Marketing Research. Sage.
Chang, H. J., Jai, T. M. (2015). Is fast fashion sustainable? The effect of positioning strategies on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions. Social Responsibility Journal, 11(4), 853–867. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-07-2014-0095
Chen, Y. S., & Chang, C. (2013). Greenwash and green trust: The mediation effects on green consumer confusion and perceived risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 114, 1825–1834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1360-0
Chen, Y.-S., Lin, C.-L., & Chang, C.-H. (2014). The influence of greenwash on green word-of-mouth (green WOM): the mediation effects of green perceived quality and green satisfaction. Quality and Quantity, 48, 2411–2425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-013-9898-1
Chu, K. W. K. (2020). The green gap of high-involvement purchasing decisions: an exploratory study. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 9, 371–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-020-00115-6
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2013). Teaching thematic analysis: Overcoming challenges and developing strategies for effective learning. The Psychologist, 26(2).
Cosgrove, E. (2019). H&M pledges 100% sustainable cotton by 2020. Retrieved 10 26, 2019, from https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/hm-pledges-sustainable-cotton-by-2020/551723/
Cummins, S., Reilly, T. M., & Carlson, L. (2014). Investigating the portrayal and influence of sustainability claims in an environmental advertising context. Journal of Macromarketing, 34(3), 332–348. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146713518944
Dalton, R. (2018). The cooler sustainability gets, the more fast-fashion will greenwash you. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://wellmadeclothes.com/articles/AsSustainabilityGetsCoolerFastFashionWillGreenwash/
Delmas, M. A., & Burbano, V. C. (2011). The drivers of greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64–87. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64
Denscombe, M. (2003). The good research guide. McGraw Hill.
Diffenderfer, M., & Baker, K. (2011). Greenwashing: What your client should know to avoid costly litigation and consumer backlash. Natural Resources & Environment, 25(3), 21-25. Retrieved February 27, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/25802058
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Loewe, A. (1991). Management Research, an Introduction. Sage.
Finnerty, A. (2019). Greenwashing or Real? Take on Zara and H&M’s sustainable lines. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://goodbern.com/2019/05/14/greenwashing-or-real-take-on-zara-and-hms-sustainable-lines/
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pittman.
Furlow, N. E. (2010). Greenwashing in the new millennium. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 10(6), 22–25.
Gingerich, E., & Karaatli, G. (2015). "Eco -Friendly" Marketing: Beyond the label. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 17(3), 45–62.
Gosselt, J., & f., Rompay, T. v., & Haske, L. (2019). Won't get fooled again: The effects of internal and external CSR eco-labeling. Journal of Business Ethics, 155, 413–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3512-8
Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., & Bergh, B. V. (2010). Going Green to Be Seen: Status, Reputation, and Conspicuous Conservation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(3), 392–404. https://doi.org/10.1037/a001734
Hackett, K. (2016). What H&M doesn't want you to be 'Conscious' about. Retrieved 10 26, 2019, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-hm-doesnt-want-you-to-be-conscious-about_b_581252a3e4b09b190529c1fe?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHIuTGZPHt4X72N5AxL36vMgX3_MXer2Dvq7AJLm3ts-ote-SZ2928MNB86Cb_Ip-Ag52G
Hagman, O., Segerqvist, I., & Wahlstrom, S., (2017). Credibility of green marketing in the fast fashion industry, Bachelors thesis, Jonkoping University
Hardy, C. L., & Vugt, M. V. (2006). Nice guys finish first: The competitive altruism hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(10), 1402–1413. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167206291006
Harris, R. (2013). Cleaning up by "saving the world". Marketing, 118(5), 36–40.
Hitti, N. (2019). H&M called out for "greenwashing" in its Conscious fashion collection. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://www.dezeen.com/2019/08/02/hm-norway-greenwashing-conscious-fashion-collection-news/
International Standards Organization. (2012). Environmental labels and declarations: How ISO standards help. Retrieved 09 26, 2019, from https://www.iisd.org/business/markets/eco_label_iso14020.aspx
Johnson, G. (2004). US: Greenwashing Leaves a Stain of Distortion; Ford's Hybrid Electric SUV. Retrieved 10 27, 2019, from https://corpwatch.org/article/us-greenwashing-leaves-stain-distortion-fords-hybrid-electric-suv
Jones, L. (2018). Best Of 2018: Are You Being Greenwashed? Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://wellmadeclothes.com/articles/BestOf2018AreYouBeingGreenwashed/
Klein, H. K., & Myers, M. D. (1999). A set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies in information systems. MIS quarterly, 67–93. https://doi.org/10.2307/249410
Lane, E. L. (2013). Green marketing goes negative: The advent of reverse greenwashing. Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 25(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1867299X00002506
Lee, H. C. B., Cruz, J. M., & Shankar, R. (2018). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues in supply chain competition: should greenwashing be regulated? Decision Sciences, 0(0), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/deci.12307
Lin, J., Lobo, A., & Leckie, C. (2017). Green brand benefits and their influence on brand loyalty. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 35(3), 425–440. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-09-2016-0174
Lyon, T. P., Maxwell, J. W. (2008) Corporate social responsibility and the environment: a theoretical perspective. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 2(2), 240–260. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1011793
Lyon, T. P., & Montgomery, A. W. (2013). Tweetjacked: The impact of social media on corporate greenwash. Journal of Business Ethics, 118, 747–757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1958-x
Macchiato, N. (2019). The Ultimate Guide to Greenwashing. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://www.natimacchiato.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-greenwashing
Maguire, M., & Brid, D. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. AISHE-J: The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 9(3).
Majláth, M. (2016). How does greenwashing affect the firm, the Industry and the society - the case of the VW emission scandal (pp. 111–126). Óbuda University.
Majláth, M. (2017). The effect of greenwashing information on ad evaluation. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 6(3), 92–104.
Marciniak, A. (2010). Greenwashing as an example of ecological marketing misleading practices. Comparitive Economic Research, 12(1 - 2), 49 - 59. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10103-009-0003-x
Martinie, A. (2018). Wolf in sheep’s clothing: Greenwashing in today’s markets. Retrieved 09 25, 2019, from https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2018/09/18/wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-greenwashing-in-todays-markets/
Mitchell, L. D., & Ramey, W. D. (2011). Look how green I am! An individual-level explanation for greenwashing. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 12(6), 40–45.
Newell, S. J., Goldsmith, R. E., & Banzhaf, E. J. (1998). The effect of misleading environmental claims on consumer perceptions of advertisements. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 6(2), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.1998.11501795
Nguyen, T. T., Yang, Z., Nguyen, N., Johnson, L. W., & Cao, T. K. (2019). Greenwash and Green Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Green Skepticism. Sustainability, 11(9), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092653
NPR. (2007). Eco-Friendly Product Claims Often Misleading. Retrieved 10 27, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16754919
Paco, A. M., & Reis, R. (2012). Factors affecting skepticism toward green advertising. Journal of Advertising, 41(4), 147–155. https://doi.org/10.2753/JOA0091-3367410410
Park, H., & Kim, Y.-K. (2016). Proactive versus reactive apparel brands in sustainability: Influences on brand loyalty. Journal o fRetailing and Consumer Services, 29, 114–122.
Patel, J., Modi, A., & Paul, J. (2017). Pro-environmental behavior and socio-demographic factors in an emerging market. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 6, 189–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-016-0071-5
Pedersen, E. R., & Andersen, K. R. (2015). Sustainability innovators and anchor draggers: a global expert study on sustainable fashion. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 19(3), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-08-2014-0059
Pinto, D. C., et al. (2019). Recycling cooperation and buying status: Effects of pure and competitive altruism on sustainable behaviors. European Journal of Marketing, 53, 944–971.
Pitcher, L. (2019). What Zara’s Sustainability Efforts Could Mean for the Fashion Industry. Retrieved 10 26, 2019, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-zaras-sustainability-efforts-could-mean-for-the-fashion-industry
Polonsky, M. J., Rosenberger III, P. J., & Ottman, J. (1998). Developing green products: Learning from stakeholders. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 10(1), 22–43.
Roberts, G. (1998). Competitive altruism: from reciprocity to the handicap principle (pp. 427–431). The Royal Society.
Rogers, K. (2018). The UN is Now working directly with companies to fight climate change. Retrieved 10 26, 2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3ma84/the-un-is-now-working-directly-with-companies-to-fight-climate-change
Romani, S., Grappi, S., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2013). Explaining consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility: The role of gratitude and altruistic values. Journal of Business Ethics, 114, 193–206.
Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. (2001). Research methods for social workers. Wadsworth.
Schmuck, D., Matthes, J., & Naderer, B. (2018). Misleading consumers with green advertising? An affect -reason-involvement account of greenwashing effects in environmental advertising. Journal of Advertising, 47(2), 127–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2018.1452652
Segran, E. (2019). H&M, Zara, and other fashion brands are tricking shoppers with vague sustainability claims. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://www.fastcompany.com/90385370/hm-zara-and-other-fashion-brands-are-tricking-consumers-with-vague-sustainability-claims
Shim, K., & Kim, S. (2019). Consumers’ ethical orientation and pro-firm behavioral response to CSR. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 8, 127–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-019-00091-6
Silver, D. (2018). H&M has a pretty sustainability push—But is it just greenwashing? Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://observer.com/2018/03/hm-sustainability-conscious-exclusive-collection/
Spaulding, M. (2009). Greenwashing: Seven deadly sins. Retrieved 09 25, 2019, from http://sinsofgreenwashing.com/index94e4.pdf
Stokes, R., & Jago, L. (2007). Australia’s public sector environment for shaping event tourism strategy. International Journal of Event Management Research, 3(1), 42–53.
Sukhu, A., & Scharff, R. (2018). Will 'doing right' lead to 'doing well'? An examination of green behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 35(2), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-04-2016-1778
Sun, Y., Kim, K. H., & Kim, J. (2014). Examining relationships among sustainable orientation, perceived sustainable marketing performance, and customer equity in fast fashion industry. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 5(1), 74–86.
Tan, J. (2019). Zara commits to using 100% sustainable fabric by 2025. Retrieved 10 26, 2019, from https://www.marketing-interactive.com/zara-commits-to-using-100-sustainable-fabric-by-2025/
Terrachoice. (2007). The Six Sins of Greenwashing: A Study of Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets. Terrachoice Environmental Marketing. Retrieved from https://sustainability.usask.ca/documents/Six_Sins_of_Greenwashing_nov2007.pdf
The Fashion Law. (2016). Zara Boasts New Eco-Friendly Flagship, H&M Focuses on Diversity. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/zara-open-new-eco-friendly-flagship-greenwashing-much
Tkaczyk, S., Kuzincow, J., & Ganczewski, G. (2014). Life cycle assessment in management of socially responsible enterprise. Foundations of Management, 6(3), 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1515/fman-2015-0019
Torelli, R., Balluchi, F., & Lazzini, A. (2019). Greenwashing and environmental communication: Effects on stakeholders' perceptions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2373
Ulusoy, E., & Barretta, P. G. (2016). How green are you, really? Journal of Global Responsibility, 7(1), 72–83. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-11-2015-0021
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. (2016). UAE State of Green Economy Report. Retrieved 16 April 2021, https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/40a8d3c1/green-economy-report-2016.aspx
Vries, G., Terwel, B., Ellemers, N., & Daamen, D. (2015). Sustainability or profitability? How communicated motives for environmental policy affect public perceptions of corporate greenwashing. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 22(3), 142–154. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1327
Watson, B. (2017). The troubling evolution of corporate greenwashing. Chain Reaction, 129, 38–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/ielapa.766428450523476
Whiting, T. (2019). Sustainable Style': The Truth Behind The marketing of H&M’s conscious collection. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://medium.com/@tabitha.whiting/sustainable-style-the-truth-behind-the-marketing-of-h-ms-conscious-collection-805eb7432002
Wu, Y., Zhang, K., & Xie, J. (2020). Bad greenwashing, good greenwashing: corporate social responsibility and information transparency. Management Science, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.3340
Yoon, S., Park, Y. (2021). Does citizenship behaviour cause ethical consumption? Exploring the reciprocal locus of citizenship between customer and company. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-021-00130-1
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Munir, S., Mohan, V. Consumer perceptions of greenwashing: lessons learned from the fashion sector in the UAE. Asian J Bus Ethics 11, 1–44 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-021-00140-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-021-00140-z