Sustainability and transparency in the fashion supply chain: an empirical investigation on corporate communication of Italian firms

The fashion industry is widely regarded as one of the most important in the world, both economically and culturally. However, companies in this industry have long been linked to serious social and environmental harm caused by their industrial activities, particularly fast fashion production. In an era where environmental and social awareness among stakeholders is constantly increasing, fashion firms must adopt more sustainable and transparent practices throughout their entire supply chain. The constant pressure from stakeholders, particularly consumers, to change their behavior has prompted businesses to devote more efforts to sustainability communication, with the corporate website serving as an effective tool for demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. This thesis aims to investigate how Italian fashion companies communicate sustainability through their corporate website. In particular, the study includes an analysis of the geography of the businesses that are most attentive to sustainability communication and a search for possible relationships present between sustainability communication and various economic performance variables.