Navigating in Swedish Clothing Companies' Supply Chain : A study on how big and micro Swedish clothing companies contribute to transparency in the supply chain

Problem: The Swedish clothing industry is unsustainable in many ways. In recent years, the demand from consumers for companies to be sustainable has increased. Additionally, the demand for transparency has increased as well. However, due to a lack of strong regulations regarding transparency, it is hard for stakeholders to ensure that clothing companies are following their own statements. Purpose: This study aims to identify how different companies act to gain or maintain transparency throughout their supply chains, depending on the size of their company. Method: The research was conducted following the paradigm of interpretivism and an inductive approach to research, where six qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviewees represented six Swedish clothing companies. The empirical findings were analyzed and then compared with previous research in the field. Findings: The result of this study show that supply chain transparency is strongly related to having strong, trustworthy relationships with all stakeholders in the supply chain. Trust generates control and insights into operations. Transparency is also strongly related to traceability. The level of trust and transparency in a company's supply chain can be dependent on financial means and how long they have been in business and therefore differ between companies of different sizes. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for strong legislative action to improve transparent actions.