Workers in labour-intensive industries in developing countries have been described as the ‘hidden hands’ in the making of valuable goods in global production networks (GPNs). The process of improving the rights and entitlements of workers in GPNs have been referred to as ’social upgrading’. However, literature on social upgrading has tended to overlook the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and there is still little scientific understanding of how small businesses in developing countries can engage in social upgrading. The aim of this thesis is to enhance the understanding of how SMEs in developing countries can improve working conditions and labour rights. Through a qualitative case study, this study goes beyond statements of leading Fair Trade brands to provide insights based on voices of both workers and owner-managers in a small garment factory in Nepal. This study brings forward observations where SMEs, shaped by their characteristics, are enabled to evade responsibilities concerning working conditions and labour rights.

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2017-09-26T18:02:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Andr? Lu?s Funcke.pdf: 2966034 bytes, checksum: bfb24d140c815977a4ccdc39c785b761 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-26T18:02:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Andr? Lu?s Funcke.pdf: 2966034 bytes, checksum: bfb24d140c815977a4ccdc39c785b761 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-07 / The biggest challenge to promote decent work (according to the International Labor Organization) at regions with the production organization influenced by global supply chains is to generate upgrading that benefit both companies and workers. Analyses of global production networks and value chains have focused mainly on companies, without considering the role of work and institutions indirectly linked to the means of production. The most widely used theoretical scope to address the issue of including local producers in global supply chains is the Global Value Chain. Some authors may argue that the GVC is not a theory but an analytical framework, that can be used within different theoretical approaches. However, to evaluate social up/downgrading, it was necessary that the initial analytical framework was complemented by a social network approach, in order to understand the interrelationship between all parts that influence the organization of local production, including issues related to legislation, trade unions and social protection. This research project aims to contribute to the understanding issues applied to the agricultural sector, investigating the relationship between firm economic upgrading and social upgrading regarding rural workers and small farmers, based on the assumption that economic upgrading does not necessarily lead to social upgrading. The study object is the productive organization of the irrigated region Petrolina / Juazeiro, which includes large commercial farms, large, medium and small farmers, multinational businesses and has its production focused on domestic and international markets. It was found that the inclusion of a productive region in global supply chains through value-added activities, obtains through technical capacity and standards aiming the international market, can benefit large and medium producers, but usually leads to exclusion of small farmers with low investment capacity, mainly family holders. On the other hand, the achievement of economic upgrading does not immediately imply in social upgrading to rural workers and small farmers, nor is guaranteed by the influence of the leading firms at the global supply chain. Obtaining social upgrading it is strongly related to the existence of an institutional and legal framework, that ensures voice and bargaining power by workers. This arrangement is highly influenced by the presence of a public administration with a focus on the pursuit of social equity and by de convergence of domestic and international markets. / O maior desafio para promover condi??es decentes de trabalho (segundo a organiza??o Mundial do Trabalho) associados a cadeias de produ??o integradas com mercados globais ? gerar ganhos que beneficiem tanto empresas quanto trabalhadores. As an?lises de redes de produ??o global e cadeias de valores t?m focado principalmente em empresas, sem considerar o papel do trabalho e de institui??es indiretamente ligadas ao meio de produ??o. O escopo te?rico mais utilizado para tratar a quest?o de inser??o de produtores em cadeias de suprimento globalizadas ? o Global Value Chain, que, recentemente, sofreu uma amplia??o para dar conta n?o apenas de quest?es econ?micas, mas tamb?m de quest?es sociais. Alguns autores argumentam que o GVC n?o ? um referencial te?rico e sim uma abordagem anal?tica que pode ser usada dentro de diversos enfoques te?ricos. No entanto, para dar conta da avalia??o de ganhos/perdas sociais foi necess?rio que o referencial anal?tico inicial fosse complementado por uma abordagem de rede social de forma a perceber o inter-relacionamento entre todos os atores que influenciam na organiza??o da produ??o local, incluindo quest?es relacionadas ? legisla??o, sindicalismo e prote??o social. Este projeto de pesquisa visa contribuir para a compreens?o de um quadro anal?tico aplicado ao setor agr?cola, que possa investigar o relacionamento entre as melhorias econ?micas obtidas por empresas e melhorias sociais dos trabalhadores rurais e pequenos produtores, partindo da suposi??o de que melhorias econ?micas n?o necessariamente levam a melhorias sociais. O objeto de estudo ser? a organiza??o produtiva da fruticultura no Brasil, atrav?s de pesquisas de campo conduzidas nos per?metros irrigados de Petrolina/Juazeiro, que comporta grandes fazendas comerciais, grandes, m?dios e pequenos produtores rurais, multinacionais e que tem sua produ??o voltada tanto aos mercados dom?sticos como internacionais. Verificou-se que a inser??o de uma regi?o produtiva em cadeias de produ??o globais atrav?s atividades de agrega??o de valor ? produ??o por interm?dio de melhorias t?cnicas e adequa??o da produ??o ao mercado internacional, pode trazer benef?cios para grandes e m?dio produtores, mas geralmente funciona como mecanismo de exclus?o de pequenos agricultores com baixa capacidade de investimento, principalmente os familiares. A converg?ncia entre as din?micas do mercado dom?stico e do mercado internacional ? fundamental para ampliar os ganhos econ?micos e sociais dos atores que comp?es a organiza??o da produ??o. Por outro lado, a consecu??o de ganhos econ?micos em ganhos sociais para trabalhadores rurais e agricultores familiares n?o ? imediata, nem garantida pela influ?ncia dos atores l?deres na coordena??o da cadeia produtiva. A obten??o de ganhos sociais est? fortemente vinculada ? exist?ncia de um arcabou?o institucional e legal, que garanta voz e poder de negocia??o por parte dos trabalhadores e foi altamente influenciada pela presen?a de uma gest?o p?blica com enfoque na busca da equidade social.