206
D. Machek et al.
Table 15.1 Focal areas and number of participating brands in selected MSIs
MSI
Focus within
SSCM
# of participating
Swedish brand
# of brands
participated in
the study
Total# of
participating
actors a
Sustainable
Apparel Coalition
(SAC)
Various env’l
issues across the
supply chain,
development of
Higg-Index
3 b
3
234 b
Sweden Water
Textile Initiative
(STWI)
Water-related
challenges
18 c
8
29 c
Textile Exchange
(TE)
Identification of
more sustainable
materials
6 d
4
289 d
a Including apparel brands, home textile brands, manufacturers, NGOs and other additional actors
b apparelcoalition.org/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
c stwi.se/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
d textileexchange.org/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
several perspectives across different initiatives it was envisaged that the three MSIs
covered different types of challenges.
All the 21 Swedish brands that participate in at least one of the three MSIs were
contacted and asked to participate in the study. In total nine of them agreed to take
part.
Table 15.1 presents the three MSIs, their main focus, number of Swedish brands
as well as total number of actors participating in the respective MSIs, and number of
brands participated in this study.
15.3.1 Benefits and Reasons of Participating in MSIs
Interviews with the nine brands revealed that participation in the case MSIs is overall
beneficial for the enhancement of their sustainability work. First, MSIs facilitates
access to relevant and reliable information, knowledge and tools related to the
SSCM work, such as environmental laws in the production country and environmental property of materials they use. Instead of having to obtain and update such
knowledge themselves, MSIs serve as an information hub. The three MSIs also
facilitate the channeling of contacts with experts—for instance, participants of SAC
includes academia, and STWI is connected with the Stockholm International Water
Institute—and provide a meeting place with other brands who went through similar
problems related to SSCM in the past. MSIs thus facilitate access to expertise as
well as peer learning. All these in turn reduces the transaction cost related to such
information gathering exercise.
D. Machek et al.
Table 15.1 Focal areas and number of participating brands in selected MSIs
MSI
Focus within
SSCM
# of participating
Swedish brand
# of brands
participated in
the study
Total# of
participating
actors a
Sustainable
Apparel Coalition
(SAC)
Various env’l
issues across the
supply chain,
development of
Higg-Index
3 b
3
234 b
Sweden Water
Textile Initiative
(STWI)
Water-related
challenges
18 c
8
29 c
Textile Exchange
(TE)
Identification of
more sustainable
materials
6 d
4
289 d
a Including apparel brands, home textile brands, manufacturers, NGOs and other additional actors
b apparelcoalition.org/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
c stwi.se/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
d textileexchange.org/members/ (figures as of July 2018)
several perspectives across different initiatives it was envisaged that the three MSIs
covered different types of challenges.
All the 21 Swedish brands that participate in at least one of the three MSIs were
contacted and asked to participate in the study. In total nine of them agreed to take
part.
Table 15.1 presents the three MSIs, their main focus, number of Swedish brands
as well as total number of actors participating in the respective MSIs, and number of
brands participated in this study.
15.3.1 Benefits and Reasons of Participating in MSIs
Interviews with the nine brands revealed that participation in the case MSIs is overall
beneficial for the enhancement of their sustainability work. First, MSIs facilitates
access to relevant and reliable information, knowledge and tools related to the
SSCM work, such as environmental laws in the production country and environmental property of materials they use. Instead of having to obtain and update such
knowledge themselves, MSIs serve as an information hub. The three MSIs also
facilitate the channeling of contacts with experts—for instance, participants of SAC
includes academia, and STWI is connected with the Stockholm International Water
Institute—and provide a meeting place with other brands who went through similar
problems related to SSCM in the past. MSIs thus facilitate access to expertise as
well as peer learning. All these in turn reduces the transaction cost related to such
information gathering exercise.