Anchoring Values to Value: An Open-Source Investigation of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in Lululemon

This paper presents findings from an open-source investigation into corporate social responsibility (CSR) in lululemon, a global sportswear brand which claims to be advancing various forms of social justice through its activities. A relatively original methodological approach is advanced here in the use of various deployment of digital techniques emerging from open-source investigation, usually associated with journalism and intelligence services. Open-source techniques meet ethnography to explore the practices and discourses associated with lululemon’s branding and corporate governance. Four themes are discussed, including branding as CSR; anchoring values to value; constructing a problem, offering a solution; and managing supply chains. The research uncovers the way various strategies of externalization take place in the formation of CSR agendas, and particularly attempts to distance and obscure harmful aspects of production from the warm and fuzzy feelings crafted through other activities. Some challenges and opportunities in deploying open-source research in social science are also covered. The paper finishes with significance of CSR practices for generating value in contemporary capitalism.