KOREASCHOLAR

The purpose of the present study was to generate a list of business ethics components according to business area for small and medium-sized fashion companies. Based on the literature review, 21 components of business ethics components were identified within five business areas. Ten CEOs(Chief Executive Officers) each participated in an in-depth interview, sharing ethical and unethical cases from their own businesses. Constant comparative analysis was used to generate important business ethics components from those cases. In results, important business ethics components for each business area are: 1) using human-friendly materials, strengthening sustainable technologies, using vegan materials, concerning safe process, and reducing waste in the material production and sourcing area, 2) enhancing an efficiency in design, developing recycle/reuse designs, avoiding to copy designs, and using messages for public interest in the product design area, 3) concerning fair-trade, reducing harmful substance, saving energy, and using ethical supply channels in the distribution and logistics area, 4) acquiring certifications, promoting consumer protection, avoiding exaggerative/false advertisements, and promoting social contributions in the management and marketing area, and 5) promoting workers’ rights, complying with the law, and investing on employee educations in the labor management area. All of the ethical and unethical cases of the ten companies have involved aspects of the 21 components, thereby enhancing understandings on how each issue is being seriously considered and/or handled in the small and medium-sized fashion companies. Study findings may provide a basis for development of a research model for quantitative studies and/or educational programs related to business ethics in the fashion industry.

Abstract
I. Introduction
Ⅱ. Literature Review
    1. Business ethics in the fashion industry
    2. Business areas of fashion companies in exploring business ethics
    3. Ethical components in the business process of fashion companies
    4. Summary of ethical components of fashion companies according to the business area
Ⅲ. Research Methods
    1. Data collection
    2. Characteristics of interviewees
Ⅳ. Results and Discussion
    1. Ethical cases in the fashion business area
    2. Unethical cases in the fashion business area
    3. Ethical and unethical cases of fashion companiesapplied to the business ethics components
Ⅴ. Conclusion
References

• Soo-Kyung Kim(GMTRI) | 김수경
• Eunah Yoh(Dept. of Fashion Marketing, Keimyung University) | 여은아 Corresponding author