Ethical consumerism and apparel industry - towards a new factor model

Ethical issues with offshore manufacturing plants in the ready-made garment industry is a regular affair, particularly for factories located in lesser developed nations. Despite efforts by non-government agencies around the globe pressurizing both governments and multinational corporations to adopt ethical practices, disastrous accidents and loss of lives continue to haunt the industry. This paper reviews existing literature to develop an understanding of consumers as pressure groups, and proposes a factor model that may influence consumers' willingness to pay for ethical garments which will be tested in future studies.