On the newest episode of PSOB’s Business & Ethics Podcast, we’ll talk about how UP students are studying the intersection of fast-fashion, greenwashing, and Gen Z consumers.

Research shows Gen Z consumers demand authenticity and are highly concerned about the environment. So why is this generation one of the biggest consumers of fast fashion? Are they unaware or unconcerned about the greenwashing marketing tactics employed in the fast-fashion industry? Understanding consumer behavior is a cornerstone of successful marketing and learning how to apply business ethics to real-world dilemmas is a cornerstone of the curriculum at University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business.

Recently, UP marketing professor Ian Parkman and two of his marketing students studied this intersection between consumer behavior and applied ethics with funding from UP’s Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation & Applied Ethics.

Listen as Ian Parkman, professor of marketing in University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business, discusses:

  • How greenwashing in fast fashion provides real-world ethical dilemmas. 
  • How he and a team of marketing students used research in Gen Z consumer behavior to study applied business ethics.
  • What they discovered and the implications their research has for marketing managers in any industry.
Want to boost your business acumen? Learn more about applied ethics and the undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs at University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business