PhD Research Student
Thesis title: Sustainable Fashion Consumption and the “Intention-Behavior” Gap: A Cross-cultural Study
Qualifications: Bachelor of Tourism Management, Master of International Business
Emailmaka8966@student.otago.ac.nz
PhD start date: 1 September 2022
Supervisors:Professor Lisa McNeill , Associate Professor Sergio Biggemann
Research Summary:
According to the United Nations (UN, 2019), garments and footwear account for 8% of the global carbon footprint and 20% of the wastewater, making the fashion industry the second-largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry, and fashion industry also has significant ethical issues. As such, “sustainable fashion” is advocated as a solution to the environmental and ethical issues and a pathway to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consumers are undoubtedly the key to driving the transition to sustainability. My study focuses on understanding what “sustainable fashion” means to consumers, why they claim to care about the environment and expect more eco-friendly products yet their behaviour may not always reflect their sustainable attitudes or intentions, and how fashion sustainability can be promoted in different cultural contexts.
Research interests:
- Fashion marketing
- Sustainability
- Consumer behaviour
- Brand management
Honours and awards: Otago Doctoral Scholarship
Publications
Ma, K. X., Mather, D. W., Ott, D. L., Fang, E., Bremer, P., & Mirosa, M. (2022). Fresh food online shopping repurchase intention: The role of post-purchase customer experience and corporate image. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 50(2), 206-228. doi: 10.1108/IJRDM-04-2021-0184