An Empirical Investigation To Measure the Success Levels of Fast Fashion Companies in the United Arab Emirates in Achieving Their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Motivations

The fashion industry as a whole has continued to attract significant attention across the world in various societies both in the developed and the developing economies. In the United Arabs Emirates its no-different since there is also a growing fashion industry with major companies which are also making significant contribution in the fashion world that is the global fashion market. The issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a controversial issue which arouses different sentiments among various factions in the society and the industries in the United Arabs Emirates. Further, the idea or the notion that the contribution of the corporations to the society is crucial and cannot be overemphasized. However, there have been sharp criticisms among the civil society and the business experts, some of these groups believe that the corporations should be responsible for these issues but this have also been cemented by the implementation of the same and legislation of the same into law.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The change in the environment, the changes in the societal problem and concerns is one of the key aspects of corporate social responsibilities which and organization could choose to participate in. In the participation the organization would be required to take charge and correct a situation or contribute to a solution with issues ailing the society. Therefore, it is important for the administrators and the organizations managers to be able to look out for these chances of corporate social responsibility. It is also prudent to note that most organization would want to hide behind the corporate social responsibilities to evade taxes and tax obligations which are wrong. Therefore, this may mean that even though the corporate social responsibility is being undertaken by the organizations in the United Arabs Emirates the same is not effective enough t warrant change r to change the position of the item being considered in the corporate social responsibility. Some of these organizations may end up doing the corporate social responsibility as a form of creating or changing the opinions of the masses concerning their goods and services or the products or as a public relations exercise. This means that when they are done with their recording and show casing of their activities they leave and the projects initiated are not funded or cannot be able to thrive there after which means they are dead. This is not part of corporate social responsibility because when the corporate social responsibility is genuine then the organization will see it funded and supported to fruition. Some of the examples could be tree planting or the provision of methods or techniques of cleaning the river against pollutions and the various pollutants which come as a form of environmental pollution. The corporate social responsibility can be said to be successful when the objective that was set out at the beginning of the exercise is met and is fulfilled by the proponents of the activities.

The main aim of the study is to measure the success levels of fast fashion companies in the United Arab Emirates in achieving their corporate social responsibility (CSR)

1.3 Research questions

We aim to evaluate how the e-commerce companies in the UAE fulfill CSR

1. What is the level of awareness about the CSR in the fashion industry in the UAE?
2. Why the fast fashion companies need CSR?
3. What are the main activities for fast fashion companies to fulfill CSR
4. What are the suggestions that could be provided to other fast fashion companies in other countries to fulfill CSR?

1.4 Research aim and objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate the fast fashion in the UAE to fulfill CSR. This research aim can be further divided to the following objectives:

1. To establish the level of awareness about the CSR in the fashion industry in the UAE
2. To find out reasons that fast fashion companies need CSR.
3. To find out the main activities for fast fashion companies to fulfill CSR.
4. To provide suggestions for other fast fashion companies in other countries to fulfill CSR.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The information and the results of the study that will be acquired in this study would be able to influence some operations of the organization in relation to the corporate social responsibility. The managers of the different fashion companies and firms in the United Arabs Emirates will be able to come up with better and more improved policy courtesy of the findings of this study if they wish to adopt the same. Further, in future the private and public policy makers will be able to adjust their policy in consideration of thus issues of corporate social responsibility in the United Arabs Emirates.

1.6 Limitations of the Study

One of the main issues about corporate social responsibilities is that when the same is carried out or conducted by the business carefully and consistently then the same is able to help the business during the tax relief provided by the government. Therefore, one of the limitations that would most likely affect the study would be the issue of the information and the collection of correct information from the sample embers and the managers of these companies. This is because one might be reluctant to give the true information when their companies or companies they work for is at a disadvantage. In this case the researcher will ensure that the sample members and the interviewees are well advised that the information being collected will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous. Further, that the information or results will be used for the academic purposes only. In this case it means that the respondents may want to give the incorrect position so that their company is at an advantage.

Other limitations of the study are the issues of time ad material or financing of the entire process of te research. In this case the researcher would be able to increase more sample embers and the interviewee if there was enough funding and the time for the conduction of the study. However, since the study is academic it is being conducted under a specific time frame with a strict individual budget which may not allow for very detailed and strict processes. This will be overcome by taking a sample that is manageable to the budget and ability of the researcher at this point in time as a student.

1.7 Structure

The organization and the structure of the current study will be composed of different chapter specifically six chapters which are composed of the introduction that is the first chapter with the statement of the problem of the study, the objectives, research question, limitations and the significance of the study.

The second chapter is composed of the different studies which have been reviewed by the researcher which have been done in the past; this chapter has several sections which is composed of the review of literature, the gaps and theoretical review. Chapter three is the methodologies of the study, in this chapter the sections which are therein are compose of the sections which address the methods adopted by the study in relations to the collection of data, data analysis, the research design, research approach, research philosophy among others. The information on chapter four is basically the analysis of data and interpretation of the results and findings. The discussion of the findings and the interpretation of policy implication is presented in chapter five. The last chapter is composed of the conclusion of the study that is chapter six, the sections in chapter six are made of the limitation and the key conclusions of the study and the contributions therein.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Basic concepts and definitions

The concept of corporate social responsibility movements, its development and the maturation has in a direct way answered the lamentation by Durkheim of “vague and equivocal formulas” more than a century later. Businesses and organization of different types and sizes in industries have come to the realization and appreciation of the fact that they must be able to contribute in environmental and social practices which are beyond their operations, legal and technical requirements such as the income generating activities.

Many organization have also come to appreciate the need for the corporate citizenship against the belief of prominent economists and critics (Friedman, 1970). The corporate social responsibility has been able to weather the increased criticisms from such quarters and he battle of wits have already been won by the economists. My reference for this is the fact that the corporate social responsibility have been able to expand and growth far beyond being an issue of social activists and is now appreciated, adopted and endorsed by governments. The international institutions also appreciate the same due to it’s befits to the community and the society in the environment where the organization chooses to conduct the corporate social responsibility (Carson, 1962). Initially the organization and the firms were against these activities of corporate social responsibility but now they have come to appreciate and are now advocates of the same given the benefits that come with this corporate social responsibility. Most organizations have moved from the defensive positions to becoming advocates of the same, it has also created consultants and consulting firms which are able to advise and consult in relation to the corporate social responsibility matters.

Certain questions still lingers as to what motivates the corporate social responsibility advocates despite the improvement of the contemporary corporate social responsibility movements. Other questions which follow includes the scope and the definition or consequences of lack of the corporate social responsibility and finally its efficiency if any. According to Smith (2010), there are other factions of the society which have yet to be convinced about this incidence of corporate social responsibility which includes the social movement activities. It is also important to note that the definitions that have been applied for the Corporate Social Responsibility have for years been consistent and very direct (Davis, 1973). However, there are others who have been confusing the Corporate Social Responsibility with other concepts likes to obey the law, philanthropy, and charity to the society. According to International Code Documentation (2010), the Nestle SA have for many years been faulted/conflicted by many groups and individuals due to responsible infant milk formula marketing in the less developed economies even though they are supporters of the international Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and members of the United Nations Global Compact; they continue to be clouded by vociferous criticisms and are targets of the same. The different businesses, business men and organizations subscribed to be belief that “doing good is good for business,” If CSR indeed remains a set of injection that is “vague and far removed from the facts “with “no sanctions” no actual organizational behavior, how can sociologists explain its surprising rise or growth in the modern society. The corporate social responsibility has been a global phenomenon, the expansions and on the environment or social concerns.

The current chapter also presents theoretical framework that postulates the corporate social responsibility as a way of the regulation of the morals in the economy efforts applied by the social actors in order to formulate or create institutions which are able to regulate and government relationships in the society –economy.

When there are some disagreements or disjuncture’s between the social institutions that regulate a given activity and the economic activity then the argument by the moral arguments approach is that my corporate social responsibility makes beliefs that the movement and the struggles for the corporate social responsibility now arise at such times.

2.1.2 CSR as Moral Regulation of the Economy

In the current section the researcher get the chance to explain the relevant and the association between the current patterns and developments in the corporate social responsibility practices and its contribution to understanding. The study also gets to explain theoretical framework in this section and the approaches to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities or practices. In the beginning the researcher notes that the quote “moral regulation” and the phrase “business ethics” are in relation to the corporate social responsibility especially because the concept is concerned with the personal ethics of decision making in business (DeGeorge, 2006). Even though business standards, ethics and corporate social responsibility have a close relationship with each other; the researcher posits the moral regulation being the institutionalized rules which are directly external and coercive in the economic organization specifically in relation to the corporation’s environment and external factors. Thus, the pattern of economic and social forces that is informal or formal may be used to mean the “moral regulation of the economy” which inform the practices of the corporations ‘practices fit with what other actors in the society expects of them and how they should conduct themselves.

According to Fish (2005) the term is very old or can be said to be archaic, it was also applied by Durkheim, the Durkheimian tradition have also been adopted in the sociology or extension of the same which makes it relevant to the application of the corporate social responsibility. Some of the contributions of the moral regulation framework of Corporate Social Responsibility include the first one that is it seeks to move the conversation of the Corporate Social Responsibility “normative” considerations. In the current study it is not the intention of the researcher to replicate the argument and the antagonism that has been going on between different scholars in the available literature on the relevance of the corporate social responsibility “should or should not” mostly in the cottage industry (Carroll, 1999; Andriof and McIntosh, 2001; Frederick, 2006).

In its place that is the argument the researcher give provision for a sociological framework to explore the causes, consequences, reception, and diffusion and puzzles that bedevil the corporate Social Responsibility. The incidence or the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is serious and is very complex give the pollution of the environments and that is perpetrated by the corporations routinely and violation of human right and end up covering these violations with ceremonial commitments to the Corporate Social Responsibility. However, the puzzles cannot be answered by use of simple proclamations which are seemingly normative, there must be systematic investigation of the different aspects and concepts of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The current study is on the measurement of the achievement and the success of the Corporate Social Responsibility among the Fast fashion firms in the United Arabs Emirates. Therefore, the main problem of the study is no to ask whether the corporations should go ahead and engage in the Corporate Social Responsibility or not but seeks to find out the level of success in achievement of the Corporate Social Responsibility. The study will also seek to find out what social forces compel or push the corporations and companies to struggle in a bid to achieve these responsibilities to the community specifically in the United Arabs Emirates. The different studies which have been done on Corporate Social Responsibility have considered different aspects such as its influence on the organization performance, profitability among other factors in other industries such as the financial sector, the manufacturing sector when there’s increased pollution and others. However, the current study will consider the seemingly or relatively silent industry which has been avoided by different researchers and scholars in the past (Hoffman 2001; King 2008; Soule 2009) who have explored the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility that is the fast fashion industry or companies in the United Arabs Emirates.

On the other hand, the moral regulation is known to change and vary the Corporate Social Responsibility significantly beyond the main operations of the fir or the organization. Hence, the corporate behaviors of the organization are in the middle of the Corporate Social Responsibility and cannot be overlooked. The even or the act itself is not a right of the organization undertaking it but it’s a property of the environment to which the organization belongs to that is the society, community or the region therein this is the argument of the current study moral regulation or obligations.

It is another language or other words of saying that the problem of the Corporate Social Responsibility is a concern or a challenge of legitimacy of the organization in the society (cf. Meyerand Rowan, 1977). In a way the current study will also highlight the need for a framework which will lay down what constitutes the Corporate Social Responsibility, the struggles and debates which follows the Corporate Social Responsibility among other multiple social factors and actors about the summary or the constitution of the behaviors of the corporate; the decision makers of the informal and formal rules of the behaviors which come from those debates and the consequences of the behaviors of the corporate. According to the stakeholder theory there is some precedent for the “externalist” approach to the Corporate Social Responsibility (Freeman, 1984, 1994, 1999; Post and Sachs, 2002; Phillips, 2003). The study by Walsh (2005) makes a case of the effects that the external actors have on the behavior of the organization, the researcher also argues that the stakeholder theory continues to be a formidable firm-centered approach to the Corporate Social Responsibility.

The current study demonstrates how the integration of the insights from different researchers such as Emile, Karl, Polanyi, John W. Meyercan and Durkheim are able to shed some light on the concerns raised above. In third place is the moral-regulation approach posits an argument that the Corporate Social Responsibility are brought about by “economic” causes. This means that the Corporate Social Responsibility is directly causes by economic factors as the primary causes (Carroll2000). In this study theoretical account that is proposed is directly connected to the multi-level approach to the Corporate Social Responsibility. The different factors in the market and the performance of the organization or the corporation may be influenced or be based on the forces of demand and supply. Most individuals and organization end up confusing or a tempted to think that the “actions” and activities of the corporations are determinants of the Corporate Social Responsibility. Even though my study does not discredit economic determinants by the previous studies but the main concern is theoretical framework which shows that the economic determinates should be weighed against other institutional or social factors which are able to give and explanation as to why, even though there’s a strong evidence that discredit Corporate Social Responsibility and its improvement on the profitability of the organization; there is still increased attachment to the Corporate Social Responsibility by the organizations regardless of it having on association with improvements of profits of the organization (Kinderman, 2012).

The study by Kinderman (2012) suggested that the political approaches are the alternative that can be applied in the understanding of the corporate regulation framework emergence. The current theoretical reasoning appreciates the pressure for the Corporate Social Responsibility cannot entirely be based on the corporation’s immediate environment.

The institutions or organizations that in most cases press or call for corporate social responsibility are in fact not directly connected to those particular corporations. If this concept of corporate social responsibility was a simple concept then the same then the corporate social responsibility patterns would not be similar in different countries or across regions. Further, even though the Corporate Social Responsibility are not some form of charity they appear to be charity or have some features of charity because most of these activities are done with an intention of improving the status of the society or the welfare of the society Whitehouse (2003a), Ruggie (2003a), Shanahan and Khagram (2006), Whitman, and Zald (2008) and Davis for example do not have some common features or common dimensions which are found in other Corporate Social Responsibility frameworks.

Eventually, the last issue is that the moral regulation framework is a trial to be able to create explicit for of organizational and economic sociology to the macroeconomic basis and concerns (cf.Krippner, 2001; Krippner and Alvarez, 2007). Therefore, what the researcher means or refers to is that the economic and organizational behaviors coupled with the empirical work should go on to be cemented on the middle range theories which could take into consideration the entire society including the cross-national institutions which can directly change and undergird the methods which organization use in their operations in society. In a bid to investigate the economic and organizational issues the researchers should adopt the approaches which are recent to the logics of the organization which includes management, economic sociology, and transnational or global sociology (Mizruchi, Stearns, and Marquis2006; Krippner, 2011; Friedland and Alford 1991; Thornton and Ocasio, 2008; Mizruchi, Stearns, and Marquis, 2006; Krippner, 2011; Davis, 2009).

With the consideration of the macroeconomic issues and concerns, they can be able to benefit or draw benefits from theoretical approaches which are applied in the organizational and economic sociology as suggested by the study as prime examples which includes the reception of global Corporate Social Responsibility, emergence and diffusion. The theoretical insight has been defined in the following section due to theoretical discussions and insight by different researchers such as Durkheim, Meyer and Polanyi which indicates that the same insights can be applied or integrated in the framework for the understanding of the Corporate Social Responsibility due to the challenges of the regulations of the economy. The current study will not attempt to explain or make a discussion of the implications of their total influence of effects of these body of works but will concentrate on objective that will integrate these views that is: the reaction of the social actors on the economic and social factors. I do not attempt to discuss the full implications of their entire bodies of work but instead focus on the central theme that integrates their views on (i) how social actors respond to the uncertainty resulting from disjuncture’s between economic activity and the institutions that govern that activity and (ii) the consequences of those social responses.

Meyer and the Institutionalization of World Culture John W. Meyer’s world society theory (also referred to as the world polity approach) describes how the development of global cultural and associational processes after the Second World War has resulted in the establishment of shared norms and institutions across different countries (Meyeretal.1997; Meyer2000;Meyer, 2010).The world society approach essentially applies insights from new institutional theory in sociology and organizational studies (Meyer and Rowan 1977;DiMaggio and Powell1983) to the study of globalization and international relations. In new institutional theory (Powell and DiMaggio 1991), organizations seek legitimacy from their external constituents by adopting ideas and practices that conform to institutionalized expectations of how organizations should be structured and what activities organizations should engage in. In doing so, organizations respond to powerful coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures in their environment, adopting remarkably similar structures and practices that may not be efficient or functional for their actual operations. Likewise, in world society theory, nation-states are conceived as entities that reflect global norms and institutions, often adopting standards, frameworks, and models that are considered legitimate in international society, despite considerable variation in domestic contexts and resources. The world society approach to globalization seeks to explain how these global norms and institutions, promulgated by international organizations like the United Nations and global civil society organizations, shape the way modern-nation states adopt similar structures (Meyeretal.1997), approaches to governance (Drori,Jang, and Meyer2006), and orientations to human rights (Hafner-Burton and Tsutsui2005) and the environment (Frank etal.2000). Despite many similarities and obvious affinities (Meyer is the originator of both variants of institutional thinking), one crucial difference that sets the world society approach to globalization apart from the new institutional theory of organizations is what world society theory draws from global historical context. According to Meyer (2000; 2007; 2010), the content and institutionalization of world culture and norms its focus on progressive values, science and rationalization, mass schooling and education is a direct result of world conflict and economic disasters.

Thus, as a direct consequence of the events Polanyi examined in The Great Transformation, architects of the new global order established global institutions and organizations that embodied progressive principles such as the sanctity of human rights (reflected in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The institutionalization of these progressive principles, Meyer argues, is evident from the subsequent independence off or me colonies of the European powers. Many newly formed nation-states, requiring templates for governance, development, and education, conformed to these new global expectations of peace, security, and equality by adopting policies, structures, and practices promulgated by international organizations dedicated to those progressive principles. There construction of European countries after the Second WorldWar, together with the defeated Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, also precipitated the institutionalization of world culture. According to world society theory, the institutionalization and diffusion of world culture is supported by a contemporary global order is that “stateless ”(Meyer2000:236), parallel to the decentralized polity of the United States in the nineteenth century described by Alexis de Tocqueville (2004).Global norms and institutions do not derive from a centralized world government (i.e., there is none even though international organizations like the UN are prominent actors in the world society) or powerful countries (e.g.,the American state has long refrained from endorsing global principles) (Meyer2007) but are instead supported by the proliferation of “disinterested ”actors and nongovernmental organizations that serve as carriers for global norms and progressive principles (Boliand Thomas1997).

2.2 Theoretical Foundation

Stakeholder theory of CSR (Jansson, 2005)

2.3 Research Gaps

The different organization in various countries and different industries continue to make use of the market and the resources therein both natural and artificial without due regard to the community interest which are therein. Therefore, even though there is the issue of taxes and tariffs which are affected by the government it is not true to presume that the organizations would have paid their dues or moral obligations when they get to pay their taxes. However, even though the taxes are being paid by the various institutions and they are also conducting their corporate social responsibility it is important to note that this does not mean that they have achieved the desired level of corporate social responsibility. Further, most previous studies in the available literature shows that the studies have mostly considered the association between the corporate social responsibility and the performance of the organization. Others have investigated the influence of the corporate social responsibility on the operational costs or the operational performance of the organization.

However, the current study will address and explore the measures of the success levels of fast fashion companies in the United Arab Emirates in achieving their cooperate social responsibility. This also means that the researcher recognizes that even though the firm may be conducting corporate social responsibility activities the real concern is whether this corporate social responsibility is able to achieve the tented purpose in the fast fashion industry in the United Arabs Emirates especially in Dubai.

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Approach

The current study is on the investigation of the investigation to measure the success levels of fast fashion companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving their corporate social responsibility. The type of the research approach is identified by the researcher or a group of researchers for a specific study with consideration of the type of topic and the choice of the researcher. One of the main types of research approaches that the study would consider is the deductive research approach. In this type of research approach the researcher considers moving the study or steering the study from a convergent motion. In this case it means that the study is moved from the more open or general perspective towards the more specific or targeted aspect of the study. The deductive form of research approach would be more relevant and applicable for my study because it would help in the formulation and the investigation of the problem with consideration of the general information or the available information which will now move or allow the researcher to move towards the solution of the problem. On the other hand, the inductive research approach involves a situation where the study is formulated in such a way that it proceeds from the more specific or the divergent style. In this case it moves from the actual position to the more general perspective (Easton, 2010).

3.2 Research Philosophy

When a study assumed and subscribes to specific beliefs, concepts and beliefs then the same is said to be based on a given research philosophy. It is the consolidation of the various concepts and ideas which are incorporated or combined to come complete the study. There are different types of research philosophy depending on the type of study and the researcher conducting the same. In this study the main types of research philosophies which have been found to have been used in the existing studies in the available literature include: positivism research philosophy, the interpretivism research philosophy and the realism research philosophy. The current study makes use of or adopts the positivism research philosophy; this is because the same gives provision for the researcher to collected facts and figures from the ground and use the same for the estimation of the results of the study. In this study the fact and figures will be collected from the ground and the same will be compiled to give meaning which means that the conclusion and he findings will be made in relation to the positivisms research philosophy.

3.3 Research Methodology

The survey research methodology will be considered or applied in the current study because the same will have provision for the researcher to go to the field and collect information, facts and figures from the ground by use of the questionnaires and interviews. The information or the data collected will be used in the analysis and management of the data by use of the data analysis software that is the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS).

3.4 Research Design

The current study objective is to investigate the success levels of the fast fashion companies in the achievement of the corporate social responsibility in the United Arabs Emirates. Even though there are many types of research design the main form or type of research design is the descriptive research design which was considered for this study as being the most appropriate. The same was also coupled with the mixed research methods of research. This means that the qualitative and the quantitative methods of research were able to significantly influence or apply in the current study.

3.5 Data Collection

The process of gathering the information, facts and figures from the ground is referred to as data collection. This will be conducted by use of the primary research instruments which includes the questionnaires and the interviews. The questionnaires and the interviews which will be used in this study will be formulated in such a w tat the same will move from the simple to more complex questions. Further, the questions will also be provided with the provision to answer the questions or give the responses. Some of the questions which will be applied or developed will be put in such a way that there will be combination of the open and closed-ended questions. It is prudent to note that the questionnaires were selected because they give provision for the respondents to express themselves in the spaces provided and they will not feel limited because they are not being guided by anyone when giving their response.

In the case of the interviews they were considered in this study because they appear to give provision from clarifications and the provision to ask questions for the interviewers. Therefore, it is possible for the sample members to be asked for clarification. It also give the researcher time to feel and observe the body language of the interviewee who would be required to answer the questions as they are being asked by the interviewer.

3.6 Data Analysis

The analysis of data will be conducted by use of the coded information which would be deciphered from the actual information having been collected from the sample members or the respondents. The coding and assigning of values for the different responses would help in the creation of the usable dataset which will play big role in the estimation of the results and findings of the study. Some of the data analysis procedures and techniques which will be used by the researcher for this study include the descriptive statistics, the correlation matrix and the normality tests which will be presented by use of tables and figures. The results of the frequency distribution will enable the researcher to present distribution of the results and findings of the different responses.

3.7 Ethical Issues

The maintenance of the information and the issue abut individuals, organizations and groups are of utmost importance and cannot be overemphasized. The information and data that will be collected from the field will be kept with utmost secrecy that is anonymous and out of reach for people who are not part of the study. However, the results and findings of the study will be readily available for those who will take part of the study.

In relation to the results the researcher will make sure that the results will be reported in form pools and groups which will make it very unlikely that an individual or company may end up being victimized. It is also true to note that the information if shared with the people who are not part of the study then the information can even lead to the organization or company being avoided by the right thinking members of the society.

CHAPTER FOUR: Findings and Data Analysis Results

In the current study the researcher investigated the achievement of the corporate social responsibility among the Fast fashion companies in the United Arabs emirates. The first tables that is shows on table1 shows the results of the question of understanding of the concept of corporate social responsibility. It shows that there was about 45.5% of the respondents who said that the concept of corporate social responsibility means giving back to the society. There was also a position of the sample members that is 32% who believed that the concept of corporate social responsibility is the act of philanthropy.

Finally, 22.5% of the sample members also believed that hey understand the corporate social responsibility is part of the business and may not be a big deal.

Table 1

Some of the different forms of the corporate social responsibility are undertaken by the fast fashion companies in the UAE. Some of the activities which have been mentioned by the respondents to have been conducted as the CSR activities includes the issue of provision of solution on the issue of pollution where the organization is situated in such a way that the same does not affect the population living around the polluted area. Those who said that the organization did problem solving by way of reducing pollution were 40% of the total sample members. Other sample embers said that they did activities which were able to help the organization take care of the community welfare. In third place was the 25% of the respondents who said that the organization took are of the community welfare.

In the last place were those who said that they conducted activities of corporate social responsibility by way of ensuring that they did purification of the wastes before dumping it towards public rivers and waters. This means that the most commonly used form of corporate social responsibility in the United Arabs Emirates was the issues of pollution the provision of sanitation and the purification of waters materials and the solutions which are duped in the public waters and the public and so that there is no increased infections and diseases as a result of the dumping.

Table 2

In relation to the section of department that is set for the issues to do with the corporate social responsibility in the organization the study found that there were 72% of the sample members who said yes that the organization have been able to setup a section or a department where the organization is able to channel or to address all the organizations options and activities to do with the corporate social responsibility.

There was also a portion of the sample members who said no that there is n section or department of the organization that is setup or is secluded especially for the activities of the corporates social responsibility (CSR). Therefore, since there were more individuals who said that there are department in their organizations which are meant for the establishment of the corporate social responsibility activities then it means that those which are not addressing this issue wholly or entirely are less.

Table 3

There was also the question of awareness of the corporate social responsibility in the United Arabs Emirates, those who said that yes they were aware of the corporate social responsibility were 82% of the total sample members. On the other hand, there were also those respondents who said that there is no high level of awareness of the corporate social responsibility in the United Arabs Emirates.

Those who had said no that the level of corporate social responsibility is not high in the United Arabs Emirates were 18% of the total sample members.

Table 4

Some of the needs of the corporate social responsibility for the organization in the Fast fashion companies that were mentioned by the sample members include those that were commonly mentioned by the interviewees. One of the most commonly noted needs for the corporate social responsibility among the fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates is tax relief that is composed of 23%. This was suggested by 23% of the sample members because it is believed that when a company has been able to get or achieve different corporate social responsibility then the organization can be able to get some tax relief which world take into account the funds and the investments into the corporate social responsibility.

The highest portion of the sample members was composed of 63.5% that is those who said that what influences the corporate social responsibility is the issue of giving back to the community. It means that some of the sample members believe that the corporate social responsibility is most influenced by or brought about by the need for the organization to give back to the society and share worth the society what they have been able to garner.

The marketing strategy was also stated to be one of the reasons or the needs for the establishment or the achievement of the corporate social responsibility by the organization. I means that the companies are also pushed or motivated by the need to have a marketing strategy that will be able to sell or market the name of the company and the products and service which are sold by the company. It also implies that when the firm needs to do some marketing then the get to go to the society and the community and take part in some community services which end up selling the goods and services of the companies and the organization.

Table 5

Some of the main activities that fast fashion companies undertake to fulfill the corporate social responsibilities undertake in order to fulfill the corporate social responsibility includes the issue of price reduction for the commodities which was said by 20.5% of the total sample members. In the case of the United Arabs Emirates for the fast fashion companies it was found that there are also those who said that the issue of giving cloths and clothing to older people in the society or those who appear to be more vulnerable also appeared to be a good activities or the corporate social responsibility.

Finally, there was also those who said that the activities of taking care of the environment is what they consider as the main activities of the fast fashion companies undertake to fulfill the corporate social responsibilities. Therefore, when the organization has been able to take care of the environment and the environment is now okay for the community around such that there is no pollution and there is a reduction of the toxic substances on land and the rivers or the waters then the same would indicates that the organization have been able to achieve the corporate social responsibility.

Table 6

In relation to the density r the level of awareness about the issue of corporate social responsibilities in the companies in the United Arabs Emirates there are about 39.5% of the sample members who said that the corporate social responsibilities was high level of awareness.

Those who said that there was a medium level of awareness of the corporate social responsibilities were 36% of the total sample members who said that there was medium level of awareness about the corporate social responsibilities on the United Arabs Emirates.

The portion of the sample members who said that there are low levels of awareness about the corporate social responsibilities in the companies in the United Arabs Emirates was 24.5% of the total sample members.

Table 7

The information and the results on the table8 below shows that there were about 58% of the sample members who said yes that they think that the Corporate Social Responsibilities should be promoted to create awareness of the same. This was followed by those sample members who said no that they do not think that the corporate social responsibilities should not be promoted to crease awareness of the corporate social responsibilities. Further, those who were not sure of the issue of the promotion of the corporate social responsibility to create awareness were composed of 12% of the sample members.

Table 8

In order to achieve the Corporate Social Responsibilities it was found that the creation of awareness among the members of the community would be able to allow for the spread of knowledge about the corporate social responsibilities. On the other hand, there was also a portion of the sample members who said no that the corporate social responsibilities could not be known or it will not make it ways for the creations of awareness when there are no corporate social responsibilities.

Table 9

In relation to the importance of the creation of the corporate social responsibilities and there the same would lead to an increase in the achievement of the corporate social responsibilities there were those who said that they were not sure to a tune of 4.5% of the total sample members. This was followed closely by those who said that no it is not important at a high of 37.5% of the total sample members.

There was also the largest portion of the sample members who said that the creation of awareness would allow more people to know about the corporate social responsibilities if and when there is increased promotion of the same.

Table 10

The results in this study show that there was a position of the respondents who said yes that the corporate social responsibilities are an important aspect of the companies and the society at large. Those who said that no the corporate social responsibility is an important aspect of the companies and the society at large, this was to a tune of 42.5%.

Table 11

Table 12

There were those sample members who said that the environmental leaning was one of the items of the corporate social responsibilities which they have been involved in at 31%. This was followed by those sample members who said that they were involved in the pollutions management over the years as a form of corporate social responsibilities.

Finally, those who said that the art of taking care of those who are vulnerable in the society is the form of corporate social responsibilities which they have been involved in were at a high of 35% of the total sample members.

Table 13

Other suggestion by the sample members includes the issue of having a specific section in the company that is responsible for the Corporate Social Responsibility in the organization or the fast fashion companies. This would also help the organization to be able to get a fund or allocation of the funds which will help in the creation of the activities of the corporate social responsibility at a high of 49.5%.

Finally, there was also a portion of the sample members who said that the best suggestion or consideration is for the organization or the fast fashion companies to come up with a system of undertaking the corporate social responsibilities occasionally within the organization.

Some of the suggestions for the corporate social responsibility by the different sample members in the United Arabs Emirates includes those who said that the fast fashion organizations would establish a fund for the corporate social responsibility which will help the organization to concentrate and influence these activities of the corporate social responsibility activities in the organization.

Table 14

CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion

5.1 Interpretation of key Findings

The study investigated the achievement of the corporate social responsibilities in the fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates. The operate social responsibility was found to have a very high of awareness among the sample members and the population therein. This means that even though some of the people, individuals and groups may be avoiding practicing or supporting the practices of the CSR, The same is well known in the United Arabs Emirates and the people and the business are well aware of the same.

5.2 Managerial Implications

The possible impact of the corporate social responsibilities includes the fact that the activities by the organization are the issues of the growth of the business profitability such as the tax relief and the reduction of the tax obligations by the government or the tax authority.

The first suggestion and the recommendation is the fact that the fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates should come-up with a section, department or a team of professionals or a group which is aimed at informing the organization companies about how to handle the different matters and the funding of this department or section of the organization.

Some of the managerial implications of the study on the organization include the fact that the organization management will be able to come up with the methods of conducting the corporate social responsibilities. The possible impact is that the community and the organization have a mutual relationship which means that they stand to gain in all the different affairs of the organization. Essentially, the organization will gain on the issue of profitability which the community gets its utility from the goods and services made by the organization and in addition they get the services of the corporate social responsibility by the organization.

CHAPTER SIX: Conclusions

6.1 Key Conclusions

The study investigated the achievement of the corporate social responsibility by the fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates. In summary the study concludes that the first research question was able to shows that there is increased awareness of the issue of corporate social responsibilities in the Untied Arabs Emirates. This means that there is significant practice of the same in the different regions in the United Arabs Emirates.

Therefore, given the different advantages and the source of motivation for the corporate social responsibility activities then it means that the organizations are able to get the much needed motivation to reach out to their funds and allocate enough resources to the organization to ensure that there is some practices of corporate social responsibility. It is also prudent to note that the organization is able to benefit from the exposure which is brought about by the organization practices over corporate social responsibility. This is because in the process of engaging in the corporate social responsibility the organization is able to get the much needed exposure and the advertising the free marketing by the activities among the people and to the different stakeholders.

There are different motivations from the practices of the corporate social responsibility which inform the

6.2 Key contributions

The study found that the different fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates were able to do the different corporate social responsibilities in the United Arabs Emirates. In more practices aspect the research will be able to assist or help those future researchers or scholars which will conduct similarity investigation in future. This is because the researcher will be able to make considerations and the comparison between the different studies. It also means that the policy makers both in the public and the private sectors will be able to make practical contribution on the future policy because of the results and findings of the current study in relation to the corporate social responsibilities.

In more theoretical format the researcher found that the study will be able to contribute to future studies in such a way that the future researcher will acquire the information and the findings of the study and be able to adopt the conclusion of the study which will help the study in guiding their studies.

6.3 Limitations

There are different limitations which affected the study which includes the access to information and data; this is because the adoption of the corporate social responsibility is adopted to improve the organizations status.

Other limitations includes the problem of time and the collection the samples of pollution and the direct data that is in real time. If the researcher old have been able to get enough time and the resources then it would means that the researcher would have been able to get the samples of the pollution of the air and the pollution of the environment and the rivers. These samples would then end up in the lab where they would be subjected to a lab test and the results and findings would also contribute to the findings and the results of the study.

In relation to the performance and the consent of the different companies in the United Arabs Emirates to give the dataset and the different information to the researcher or the study data then there was a problem and a barrier to the study. If in case the different companies or the fast fashion companies in the United Arabs Emirates would be able to allow for the access of the information and the data then the researcher would be able to increase the effectiveness and the clarity therein.

Finally, the study adopted the qualitative methods of researcher and as such only the qualitative data was collected from the different sample members of the study. Those who took part in the study were composed of a large sample that was composed of two hundred respondents. The researcher could have considered the quantitative researcher or the quantitative data for the study but the researcher considered only the qualitative data and the qualitative methods of research. This is because the qualitative methods would allow for better collection of the data and the information from the sample members. The form of a research tool which was adopted was the interviews which would be able to give provision for clarification and the give space for the sample members to express themselves.

APPENDICES

Appendix one: Interviews

• What do you understand by the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility?
• What is your organization doing to fulfil the Corporate Social Responsibility in the UAE?
• Is there a department or a section in your company which is meant for the achievement of the corporate social responsibility?
• Do you think it is prudent to say that there is a high level of awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility in United Arabs Emirates?
• What are some of the reasons that influence the need for the fast fashion companies to have Corporate Social Responsibility?
• What do you think are the main activities that fast fashion companies undertake to fulfil the Corporate Social Responsibilities?
• What do you think is the level of awareness about the CSR in the companies in UAE?
• Do you think the issue of CSR should be promoted to create awareness?
• Do you think the creation of awareness will make it easy for companies to achieve CSR?
• Do you the creation of awareness about the importance of corporate social responsibility would increase the achievement of the same?
• Corporate social responsibility is an important aspect of the companies and the society at large?
• Do you think the fast fashion companies have a specific need for the achievement of the Corporate Social Responsibility?
• What are some of the corporate social responsibilities activities that you have been involved in?
• What are some of the suggestions or recommendation that you can give to ensure that there’s increased achievements of the corporate social responsibility?

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