How corporate social (ir)responsibility in the textile sector is defined, and its impact on ethical sustainability: An analysis of 133 concepts

Abstract Transnational textile companies claim to have put in a place processes of corporate social responsibility to promote ethical behaviour in regard to the economy, environment, and populations within which they operate. However, their true conduct, behind the mask of marketing campaigns, may be better defined as corporate social irresponsibility. The objective of this study was to analyze and explore the processes of CSiR within the textile sector as being the rule and not the exception. A broad review of the available literature was carried out, both as a literal and conceptual analysis, covering 133 approaches to the hitherto undefined concept of CSiR. In addition, a Google frequency count was performed, with a saturated categorization using the five dimensions into which the CSiR processes are concentrated: ethical, legal, social, economic, and environmental. The methodology used was based on a higher order association of these hierarchies, for which a triad model was established, allowing the most representative combinations to be identified. This methodology demonstrated that the environmental dimension is of residual character, while allowing the definitions of greater weight and scope to be extracted. From these, it was inferred that the current concept of CSiR is best defined in a three‐fold legal‐social‐ethical category, based on its frequency of use in Google, its effective application, and scope. The definition provided by this study may contribute to the improvement of the ethical processes of entrepreneurship and CSR by highlighting their taxonomy of inconsistencies, rather than focusing on the preconceived benefits of their actions.