Thesis (M.A.R.)--Cincinnati Christian University, 2009. / Includes abstract and vita. Bibliography: l. 101-104.

Multinational corporations (MNCs) in the West have introduced voluntary codes of conduct (CoC) in global supply chains to promote the application of international labour standards and labour rights in their suppliers’ factories. Previous studies on CoC implementation have addressed various problems of its effectiveness but they are limited to a rather narrow context of business relationships between MNCs and factory-based suppliers. My research examines CoC implementation in a wider global supply chain and domestic institutional context. It aims to: firstly, assess how CoC is implemented throughout the multi-layered clothing supply chain and, secondly, identify structural and institutional constraints which hinder the effectiveness of CoC. The thesis employs qualitative analyses of 398 web-based documents from the 75 largest clothing brands and retailers in US and UK markets. It also provides data from 62 in-depth and semi-structured interviews of garment factories managers, workers, vendors, labour auditors and local officials in Vietnam, as well as representatives from UK retailers and campaign groups. The thesis analyses various sets of relationship among these actors and in two dimensions of the environments in which CoC operates: global supply network structure and domestic employment relations system. My thesis makes three original contributions. Firstly it challenges the presumed logic of CoC aimed at supporting workers, because it shows evidence from the workers’ perspective that CoC not only fails to support workers’ needs but also faces resistance from them in non-complying factories in Vietnam. Secondly, I argue that the oversimplified assumption of principal-agent control model between MNCs and suppliers’ factories, which underpins the CoC arrangement, fails to recognise the complex structure of supply network with interdependent operations and multi-level flow of commands. Finally, my thesis exposes the weakness of market initiatives like CoC: when their pledges to improve working conditions and promote workers’ rights clash with economic and socio-political priorities of the local government, the latter prevails. Taking the business and institutional dimensions together I have developed a framework for a more comprehensive assessment of CoC and similar voluntary initiatives that can be applied by other researchers in similar contexts.

This qualitative study was conducted to investigate how large publicly listed companies inSweden apply its code of conduct on external parties as well as how such application is bestcarried out. Three overarching steps (implementation, monitoring and actions) weredeveloped from previous research to serve this purpose. Agency and contract theory wereimportant to understand the underlying problems of application of codes of conduct onexternal parties. It was found that companies that adequately address all of the three stepsexperience a successful application of its code of conduct on external parties. Companies thatdo not address the three steps as thoroughly do not experience the same compliance with theircode of conduct. It was further found that many companies fail to adequately address theemphasized areas. Extensive deficiencies put companies in a vulnerable position as externalparties associated with a company might have a negative impact on the company’s brand andreputation. An outlook shows that companies are not prioritizing all of the steps sufficientlyand it is thus suggested that they revise their plans. The project was carried out incooperation with KPMG Forensic and Advokatfirman Delphi. A content analysis and a survey were used to collect necessary data.

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Background: Greenwashing is a constantly growing phenomenon which is known to be an issue created by deceiving marketing strategies. The field of CSR is constantly ex- panding and greenwashing is one of the relatively new and very current issue in today’s society. Therefore the awareness of the issue need to be there for the public to be able to make more informed active decisions. Purpose: This thesis aim to shed light on the current day issue that is greenwashing and its connection to some of the most successful and fastest growing multinational compa- nies within the clothing and retail industry. Method: The thesis is based on a qualitative research approach with consist multiple case study of six multinational clothing and retail companies. The data has been collect- ed through website observations, news articles, media and through a questionnaire based on greenwashing awareness, which was analysed through a interlaced case com- parison. Conclusion: The observation made of six well known clothing brands showed the ex- istence of common trend of companies using a long and complicated way to implement their codes of conduct and therefore making the issue of greenwashing existent. Obvi- ously, this problem has a huge impact on any company’s stakeholders and the actual problem and controversy of this topic is how one could make rational and aware deci- sions if the essential information is difficult to access. Until this issue is highlighted in a public matter, people will stay unaware and inactive to find the information needed to make informed decisions.

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This thesis investigates the application and implications of supply chain management as a modern management model in regulating corporate outsourcing activities within the Greater Pearl River Delta. Globalisation has accelerated the application of supply chain management as a mechanism to enhance corporate performance. At the same time this rapid economic development has also accelerated the destruction of environmental and social conditions in these areas, and this has resulted in a lot of media and public attention. This thesis contributes to the debate on how principles and concepts of sustainable development can be put into modern business practice. Society also expects corporations to play an essential role in creating economic, environmental and social prosperity. The literature integrates the concepts of corporate social responsibility and environmental management into the core supply chain management activities within the wider framework of sustainable development. The environmental and social challenges are investigated since there is a growing recognition that development should go beyond economic growth. Whilst most research in the west has focused on the environmental approaches of supply chain management, this thesis seeks to understand, integrate, evaluate and find other options to improve conditions in suppliers’ factories. There is comparatively less literature discussing the social approach and implication to SCM with respect to this region. Perhaps more importantly social issues such as human rights and labour issues in relation to the physical environment are gaining momentum and are particularly important in this region because of strong media and western consumer pressure resulting from sweatshop activist group campaigns in the west. The four-tier methodological approach is structured within an action research model to achieve the research objectives. The first and second primary studies confirm that both suppliers’ and retailers’ knowledge are inadequate in terms of the establishing and publishing their environmental and social policies and procedures such as implementing internal and external controls for employees and workers. Their traditional and conservative mindsets is linked to their unwillingness to make a change despite the economic restructuring is rapidly taking and China’s accession into the WTO. In particular, codes of conduct is commonly existing literature embedded with environmental and social criteria as an important policy imposed by the multinational buyers to improve both environmental and social conditions within the supply chain. But how effective are such policies? Specifically, the effectiveness of the code of conduct approach is evaluated in the third study by social compliance audits at ground level in the garment industry. It is found that workers’ awareness of the code of conduct is low. The barriers include a lack of continuous training, human resources or systems present to tackle specific problems. Key challenges are found in the areas of excessive working hours, unfair pay to the workers and health and safety issues that coincide with the detailed interview results. This thesis concludes that the code of conduct approach is inadequate to improve workers’ conditions in the long term and asks what can be done next to contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development goals. The expert interviews from the fourth study explain the obstacles of the code of conduct approach. It is found that no long-term commitment and trust from multinationals is built on this relationship. The detailed interviews indicate that stakeholders’ approaches seem to be the most effective mechanism. In addition national government intervention in enforcing existing legislation and developing multi-party partnerships through trust programmes, whereby proper training from top management down to the workers and strong public involvement can help to achieve the desires long -term sustainability down the supply chain.

Throughout her two collections of novelas, Novelas amorosas y ejemplares and Desengaños amorosos, María de Zayas, as a noble woman writing in Golden Age Spain, strategically holds onto aspects of the patriarchal society under which she lives, and from which she benefits, while simultaneously deviating slightly from some of these aspects. This adherence to and deviation from the norms characterizes her style and allows her to support some of the expected codes of conduct in her society while, at the same time, pointing out flaws and questioning these codes to show how they should be altered to make life better for both the men and women of that society. Through various narrative voices and characters, Zayas creates a type of guidebook, or manual, for both the men and women of her society. Through cross dressing she establishes an essential equality between the abilities of the sexes and establishes that the actions of men and women are chosen activities, and are not related to innate ability or disability to perform a certain way. How individuals position themselves in regard to accepted or expected behavioral codes of conduct is a choice and, as individuals, men and women can choose to perform either negative or positive practices associated with their sex. This dissertation looks closely at the guide that is created and the practices which are highlighted as good and bad, thus identifying which manners of being should be emulated and which should be avoided, and therefore altered as societal expectations or norms, by men and women. Through negative and positive portrayals, Zayas shows men and women how they should and should not act in order to create a more ideal and, consequently, more equal society that differs in some ways from their present society while still retaining the overall structure and values of the patriarchy under which they already exist. It is not the creation of an entirely new society that the resulting guidebook suggests, rather it suggests an alteration to the perspectives and behavior, toward the positive, of both men and women as they exist in their current society.

<p>The starting point of this thesis is the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China. CSR can certainly not solve all of the social and environmental problems, but we believe that it can play a part, which is why we find it interesting to study the status quo of the concept in China. The research question of the thesis is “How is CSR depicted in China?”. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe Chinese views of CSR and analyze the differences between these views and CSR, as it is commonly understood in the West, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the CSR concept in China. We spent ten weeks in China conducting a qualitative case study. We interviewed companies, academics and governmental and non-governmental organisations, within the CSR area in China. Our material was then categorised into five views of CSR, where CSR is depicted as:</p><p>- CSR as labour law compliance</p><p>- CSR as law enforcement</p><p>- CSR as codes of conduct compliance</p><p>- CSR as a PR exercise</p><p>- CSR with Chinese characteristics</p><p>In addition to describe these views, we set out to analyze the differences between these views, and CSR as understood in the West. When analyzing the views we have mainly departed from CSR theory and translation theory. The main differences can be seen when it comes to the, from a Western point of view, limited scope of corporate responsibility, the lack of stakeholder dialogue, the lack of consideration for environmental issues, and in the concept of a harmonious society, which is not a part of CSR in the West. CSR with Chinese characteristics still seems to be an aspiration they are striving for, while the other four views rather are different aspects of the problems related to CSR in China at present. Our views are examples of how CSR has been translated in China, but none of them seems to be a suitable option for the further development of the concept. Put together, these views give a quite negative image of CSR in China, and it comes forth as rather ineffective. If the concept is going to have any impact on the social and environmental problems in China there is a need for further research. The development of the concept needs to be in accordance with the realities of the Chinese society, addressing the problems in the society as well as the problems with the concept.</p>