Nexus Amid Green Marketing, Green Business Strategy, and Competitive Business Among the Fashion Industry: Does Environmental Turbulence Matter?

Organizations within the fashion industry have been encouraged to adopt more sustainable marketing strategies to address growing sustainability concerns. Nevertheless, the unpredictability of environmental volatility makes it difficult to adopt green practices. Since the fashion industry is the most environmentally damaging sector, applying sustainable practices may develop competitiveness in the dynamic nature of the environment. The study utilizes resource-based view (RBV) theory to investigate how competitiveness might be enhanced in this setting through sustainable strategies. Using a purposive and convenience sampling method, 400 questionnaires were distributed to managers of Iranian textile companies and company personnel knowledgeable about green initiatives and AI. After screening the data, 230 questionnaires were considered appropriate for analysis. A quantitative analysis was carried out to analyze the data. Using PLS-SEM for analysis, the findings indicate that green marketing (GM) significantly impacts green marketing strategies (GMS), with competitive strategy (CS) serving as a mediator. Furthermore, green marketing significantly impacts the competitive strategy, and competitive business strategies affect the company’s green initiatives. Additionally, environmental turbulence (ET) is found to negatively moderate the relationship between green marketing and competitive strategies, indicating that ET (market turbulence, technological turbulence, as well as competition intensity) can diminish the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. Managers and marketers in the fashion industry interested in enhancing their competitive edge through environmentally friendly marketing and sustainable tactics will find this study informative and insightful.