Fast fashion's environmental CSR through NGO collaboration: The impact of collaboration level and environmental focus on CSR authenticity and consumer responses

The fast-fashion industry faces skepticism and accusations of greenwashing regarding its environmental CSR initiatives. This study investigated how strategic collaboration with environmental NGOs could enhance the perceived authenticity of these efforts and lead to positive CSR outcomes. The impact of two factors was examined: the level of collaboration (high vs. low) and the specific focus of environmental CSR initiatives (industry-specific vs. general), on perceived CSR authenticity and related outcomes (i.e., company-consumer identification, supportive communication intentions, and purchase intentions). A 2 × 2 online experiment with real consumer samples was conducted. The findings revealed that high levels of collaboration significantly enhanced perceived CSR authenticity and fostered positive outcomes. While the choice of environmental focus alone did not have a significant impact, combining an industry-specific focus with high collaboration maximized perceived authenticity, leading to the most favorable outcomes. CSR authenticity was crucial in driving these key outcomes. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.