Gap (RED): Social Responsibility Campaign or Window Dressing?

This study interrogates the Gap (RED) campaign from a political economic perspective to determine whether it goes beyond merely touting the virtuous line of social responsibility. Critics cite the irony of capitalist-based solutions that perpetuate the inequities they are trying to address. Others s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Amazeen, Michelle A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2011
In: Journal of business ethics
Year: 2011, Volume: 99, Issue: 2, Pages: 167-182
Further subjects:B Corporate social responsibility
B Product RED
B Advertising
B Gap Inc
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This study interrogates the Gap (RED) campaign from a political economic perspective to determine whether it goes beyond merely touting the virtuous line of social responsibility. Critics cite the irony of capitalist-based solutions that perpetuate the inequities they are trying to address. Others suggest the aid generated is problematic in and of itself because it keeps Africa from becoming self-sufficient. This research contends the purpose of the Gap’s participation is genuine, going beyond window dressing and the surface level benefit of capitalistic enterprise, and is in fact linked to a higher motive of propagating ethical trade which ultimately offers African beneficiaries a path to financial independence. However, because the message of the current Gap (RED) advertising campaign does convey a false sense of doing good, another advertising approach is warranted.
ISSN:1573-0697
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10551-010-0647-2