Study Reveals That 77% Of New Fashion Graduates Would Take A Substantially Lower Salary To Work For A Company With A High Level Of Corporate Social Responsibility

Professors from LIM College and Kent State University Publish Results in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education

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LIM College

Dec 03, 2012, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Students would overwhelmingly choose lower salaries to work for companies that have better working conditions and higher levels of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) over positions paying substantially more in companies that treated potential employees in a less desirable manner and did not place a high value on CSR. In fact, more than 77% of the new graduates surveyed were willing to accept $42,000 versus $52,000 to work at companies with a high level of CSR, according to the results of a new survey, Corporate Social Responsibility and Career Decisions.

The results of the study of 247 fashion students in three higher education institutions offering fashion programs (in New York, Ohio and Oregon), which was developed and conducted by Michael P. Londrigan, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs and Chair of the Fashion Merchandising Department at LIM College, Nancy Stanforth, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising at Kent State University, and William Hauck, Assistant Professor of Fashion Merchandising at Kent State University, were recently published in the U.K.-based International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.

In announcing the release of Corporate Social Responsibility and Career Decisions, Professor Londrigan of LIM College said, "We observed our own students and monitored the marketplace discussion of students' priorities in seeking their first career position upon graduation. Because there was no clear definitive analysis on the role of CSR in their decision-making, we decided to research the subject." LIM College is located in New York City and focuses exclusively on the study of business and fashion.

"We believed that CSR was important, but we did not know to what extent. What we found exceeded our expectations. Students overwhelmingly would choose jobs with substantially lower salaries at companies with higher levels of CSR," Kent State University's Dr. Stanforth continued.

"Our study goes a long way to demonstrate the need for companies to establish sound CSR policies that can be easily recognized and evaluated by prospective employees. This will contribute to their ability to recruit new college graduates for employment," Professor Hauck of Kent State University continued.

For example, key findings indicate:

60% would choose positions with lower pay if the prospective employer did not hire and promote based on physical appearance
65% would choose lower pay in order to work fewer hours
84% would choose a position with a company with an ethical supply chain over a company whose supply chain was deemed less socially responsible

In addition, when participants were asked what they believed the important issues in the fashion industry were:

85% indicated that a socially responsible supply chain was important
77% indicated that a reasonable work-life balance was important
88% indicated that CSR is important

As for their personal habits, the study revealed:

64% make an effort to choose products that were not made by low-wage workers
73% make an effort to conserve water
41% buy biodegradable products
82% recycle whenever they can

"Our survey revealed that CSR strategies are important to students in accepting a position. Fashion degree programs clearly attract students who are highly interested in the industry, and thus CSR strategies should be an important aspect of the fashion industry's recruitment efforts," LIM College's Professor Londrigan concluded.

Contact:
Melissa Krantz, Krantz & Co.
[email protected]
917.653.6716

SOURCE LIM College