The purpose of this study was to explore the importance level, the present level, and the educational need for 21 business ethics components among 2-year and 4-year college students majoring in fashion. Survey data of 364 students (128 students of 2-year colleges and 238 students of 4-year colleges) were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Borich’s needs assessment for education, The Locus for Focus model, exploratory factor analysis, and t-test. The results showed five business ethics components ranked highly as educational needs among college students: ‘reducing waste’, ‘using vegan materials’, ‘using human-friendly materials’, ‘strengthening sustainable technologies’, and ‘promoting workers’ rights’. Those components should be integrated into curricula of fashion majors in colleges. Students in 4-year colleges considered most of 21 business ethics components as more important than did students at 2-year colleges. More needs for education were observed by 4-year college students in eight business ethics components than by 2-year college students. In addition, a positive attitude toward business ethics education and the suitability of business ethics education were higher among 4-year college students than 2-year college students. Results provide a guideline for business ethics education by indicating a list of business ethics components that urgently needed to be adapted to fashion curricula according to each college type.

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.