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 thesis is focused on case study research of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Taiwanese OEM/ODM corporation Lite-On. Lite-On provides a representative sample of Taiwan’s key industry - the high-tech industry with OEM/ODM manufacturers supplying to global brands. The study has two objectives. The first objective is to introduce the CSR instruments currently used in electronics industry, with a special attention paid to their usage among Taiwanese companies. How successful is the implementation of CSR in the electronics supply chain? The second objective is to study the current status of CSR in Taiwan, while considering a wider context of business ethics and management practice in the Chinese communities. What factors shape the CSR in Taiwanese-invested corporations? After examining these objectives, the key research question of this study is to find out why Taiwanese companies facing harsh competition in the supply chain engage in implementation of corporate social responsibility programs. The thesis is divided into five chapters. First, theoretical concept of CSR and new role of multinational corporations in the global supply chain are introduced. The next chapter recounts the story of Lite-On corporation and its CSR practices, thereby offering a valuable micro-perspective on CSR in Taiwan. The study continues with analysis of legal and voluntary instruments that attempt to address the CSR issues. The final section portrays current status and understanding of CSR in Taiwan’s business community and draws on CSR challenges.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide companies with an understanding of how Swedish apparel companies manage supplier risks connected to production activities located in China. In order to conduct this study, previous literature regarding supply chain risk management has been analysed in relation to the empirical data collected during this study. In order to answer the research question, a qualitative method and a deductive approach have been used. A qualitative method was chosen as a deeper understanding of the phenomenon supply chain risk management was desired. A deductive approach was further chosen as the topic was acknowledged by reading previous research, which clearly emphasized existing research gap within supply chain risk management.  The literature review presented in this thesis regards the importance of managing a global supply chain and the risks connected to a global supply chain. Presented is also a process of how to manage risks, and the process consists of three steps, which further provides alternative strategies in order to conduct each step. Further, the reasons why Swedish companies outsource production activities to China and the importance of supply chain risk management in China is presented. The literature review is finalized with a conceptual framework summarizing the chapter. Differences and similarities between collected empirical data and the literature review is discussed and analysed in the analysis chapter. The following chapter provides conclusions answering the research question as well as theoretical and practical implications. This thesis has contributed with filling the research gap regarding supply chain risk management, this as the thesis focuses on one specific market and one specific industry. A new framework has been constructed based on previous research and the empirical findings. This framework also contributes to the practical implications as companies with a desire to outsource to China can use the process presented in the framework. The process includes three steps which will facilitate for companies to manage supplier risks in China. This thesis has also contributed to create an understanding for companies regarding the great importance of supply chain risk management. Therefore, this thesis can contribute with valuable information for Swedish apparel companies wanting to include supply chain risk management when outsourcing to China.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-10-09T12:57:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCO ANTONIO VIANA BORGES_.pdf: 1694587 bytes, checksum: 95e65aed3d2d64c7560ccb296a60162b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-09T12:57:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCO ANTONIO VIANA BORGES_.pdf: 1694587 bytes, checksum: 95e65aed3d2d64c7560ccb296a60162b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-26 / Nenhuma / To operate in global supply chains, there is need for development of capabilities to integrate different companies, from different countries with diverse cultures, economic and technological level. The semiconductor industry fits into a scenario of global production with a supply chain spread worldwide, seeking cost efficiency, mass production and flexibility. Brazil stands out in the global economy as an emerging country and has promoted public policies and incentives for the competitiveness of semiconductor chain in the country. The guidelines are made by public policies for the development of national production and tax incentives in order to attract foreign companies that are able to produce and develop the capabilities needed to create competitiveness. Considering that Brazil intends to move from a high consumer of microelectronics items to a competitive player in the semiconductor industry, this research aims to analyze what capabilities are needed by companies to become players in a global supply chain. The theoretical framework proposed for this investigation is designed to evaluate capabilities in a global supply chain. It proposes that the upgrading level results from capabilities developed by the companies and also influenced by political and economic factors. Productive, relational and innovative elements compose the set of global supply chain capabilities of this study. The method is descriptive-exploratory, using multiple case studies carried out in four Brazilian design centers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. NVivo® supported data coding and analyses. The results demonstrate that Brazilian industrial policy affects the development of global supply chain capabilities of the national design houses, especially in terms of organizational and R&D processes. As consequence, the companies developed productive and relational capabilities and most of them are still in a process upgrading level. The development of global market and strengthening of innovative capabilities can lead companies to other upgrading levels and move the design houses up in the semiconductor global chain.

For a graph G=(V,E), a set S⊆V is a global supply set if every vertex v∈V\S has at least one neighbor, say u, in S such that u has at least as many neighbors in S as v has in V \S. The global supply number is the minimum cardinality of a global supply set, denoted γgs (G). We introduce global supply sets and determine the global supply number for selected families of graphs. Also, we give bounds on the global supply number for general graphs, trees, and grid graphs.

In the era of low-margin products, Taiwan¡¦s electronics manufacturing service (EMS) providers, who produce communication, computers, and consumer electronics products, have become the most important partners to the most prominent international brand retailers. This is due to their premium cost advantages and superior efficiency in supply chain management through their global expansion and resourcing strategies. EMS providers¡¦ strong connections with component suppliers are another key factor contributing to their success. Following the EMS manufacturers¡¦ global expansion and resourcing strategies, the component suppliers have to set up factories in China, South East Asia, East Europe and Latin America. As these component suppliers are usually small- and medium-sized enterprises or are start-up businesses, their resources are not as abundant as the EMS manufacturers. As a result, it is more difficult and requires extra care when attempting to become globalized. As well, they normally have to learn as they proceed and this pertains to human capital, financial resources and the competency to operate globally This research is concern with human resources management. In other words, ¡§based on EMS manufacturers¡¦ global disposition strategy, how do the component suppliers develop their human resources to set up the factories globally.¡¨ This research defines human resources management as employment and development. This study utilizes the human resources development practices of the EMS manufacturers as the benchmark for component suppliers. As a result, two EMS manufacturers and one component supplier are chosen as objects of study. This shall help to generalize the principle practices used in human resources development of the EMS manufacturers and hopefully implications for component suppliers can be derived. The research is based on a case study. Three conclusions are generated from data collection and analyses: 1.With a prominent trend towards globalization, the human resources department of the EMS manufacturers has transformed its role from a conventional unit in charge of daily routine activities such as recruitment, training and promotion to a value-added one. 2.According to the human resources management philosophies adopted by different EMS manufacturers, the human resources acquisition strategy can be categorized into two types. The first type is a group with a higher commitment in human resources while the other does not have as much. The former group which has a higher commitment concentrates on internal training. This group prefers to train staffs by themselves and uses both physical and virtual training platforms. The latter group which has a lower commitment acquires staffs from the labor market directly and target in using the physical training platform. 3.In addition to evaluating the employees¡¦ capability, personality curves can also be developed during the recruiting process. Human resource development solely by physical platform is insufficient and it is essential to incorporate the electronic platform to enhance its effectiveness.

<p>With the extensive use of outsourcing and more frequent technological innovations, global supply chains become vastly stretched and dynamic networks. As a result, firms face increasingly significant challenges to managing their fragile supply networks and responding to more rapidly changing demand evolutions. In this dissertation, we analyze three aspects of these challenges and summarize the findings in three essays. The first essay considers firms' problem of managing social and environmental non-compliance risk at its sub-tier suppliers. We figure out under what circumstances the firms should delegate the sub-tier supplier non-compliance management to its direct suppliers and under what directly control. In the second essay, we analyze the firm's strategy to deal with random demand surges. We develop a new demand model that captures important non-Markov characteristics of possible random demand surge trajectories and derive the optimal safety stock and reactive capacity strategy. Eventually, we establish a useful framework for supply chain planning under a variety of surge demand characteristics (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration, and shape). In the third essay, we examine a dynamic customer-base management problem for a firm with finite capacity, when its customers are prone to disruption and retention risks. We show that the optimal base size is an adding-up-to policy and derive the firm's optimal capacity allocation policy when capacity shortage occurs. In summary, our studies in this dissertation provide useful modeling ideas, decision tools, insights, and guidance for firms to build up resilient supply chains from both the supply and demand sides.</p> / Dissertation

This dissertation investigates two major themes: (1) the strategies that global firms use to overcome weak institutions in their outsourcing and (2) how local institutions affected how firms reconfigured their global supply chains in response to the financial crisis. All three papers use a unique dataset of international contract manufacturing orders that provides hitherto unavailable insight into the global supply chains of many of the world's largest brands in footwear, sportswear, and apparel. In the first essay I create a formal model that examines the use of relational contracting by firms to overcome weak contracting institutions in their supply chains. The model predicts that, when the risk of future demand shocks is high, buyers make long-term commitments to source from suppliers in weak institution countries. I test this model and find that buyers preserved their relationships with suppliers in weak contract enforcement countries during the financial crisis for reasons that cannot be explained by cost. In conjunction with the model, these results suggest that relying on relational contracting to overcome weak contracting institutions can reduce a buyer’s flexibility in configuring his supplier networks. In the second essay, I examine whether firms choose to source from multinational (MNC) suppliers instead of local suppliers as a means of overcoming weak contract enforcement institutions or as a means of accessing supply chain management capabilities. I find strong evidence that buyers are more likely to source from MNC suppliers in countries where contract enforcement is weak and when they have less experience sourcing from a given country. Buyers are also more likely to source from MNC suppliers when they source a wider variety of products, have smaller supplier networks, and have smaller order volumes. My third essay investigates how trade credit terms are affected by local credit markets, financial institutions, and market power. I find that trade credit terms are longer when local credit markets are more developed and when buyers have market power. I also test how trade credit terms responded to the financial crisis and find that terms lengthened subject to the depth of local credit markets and buyer market power.

Background: Globalization has resulted in a more interconnected world than ever before. Global supply chains are a phenomenon which has led corporations to rely on a network of suppliers in various parts of the world. Such global reliance brings benefits but also exposes organizations to an elevated level of risks. The covid 19 pandemic boosted the digital transformation in societies which put a lot of stress on the already strained semiconductor supply chain. Markets are currently facing supply shortages of semiconductors which leads to adverse impacts on company's operations. Purpose: The purpose is to develop the knowledge and develop patterns and trends regarding how Swedish companies handle disruptions stemming from the semiconductor crisis. Method: By engaging in a comprehensive analysis and gathering of previous literature in the field it will provide a theoretical ground for the research. Thereafter, an empirical data collection in the form of interviews with representatives from the industries in question, has been conducted to provide insights and knowledge regarding the issue. The interview data has then been synthesized and analysed to spot patterns. Conclusion: The results show that the issue is complex, companies may have different abilities and possibilities to impact the situation. Although closer communication with the supply chain,Isac Pihl, Jonathan Lind &amp; Simon Henkow Ulf Linnman2022-05-19shortage”, “SCRM process”, “Crisis management”.Date:Key terms: “Supply chain risk management”, “Global supply chains”, “Semiconductor2engaging in supplier development, stockpiling inventory, utilizing the open market to acquire semiconductors (SPOT market), and quickly adapt to the changing conditions can be concluded to be the most common patterns spotted

Background: By focusing on efficiency, supply chains became increasingly extensive and complex during the past years. This led to higher vulnerability, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused an incomparable impact on global supply chains. Consequently, researchers demanded more investigation of the pandemic to prepare for future disruptions and create more resilient supply chains.   Purpose: This thesis examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations in supply chain management. It seeks to understand the challenges during a pandemic and acknowledge experiences to create more resilient supply chains in the future.   Method: We applied an explorative single-case study with a focus on individuals working in SCM-related departments. Therefore, we conducted semi-structured following theory-guided - and maximum-variation sampling to get a holistic view. Following an abductive approach, we constantly compared theory and empirical findings to further expand on previous theory about supply chain resilience. We also increased the validity by triangulating our findings with quantitative secondary data.   Conclusion: The results of this study show that a pandemic causes multiple reoccurring disruptions to supply chains. Companies have to react flexibly to adapt to the fast-changing environment, but the extensive supply chains hinder fast reactions. The findings of this study allow making different theoretical and managerial implications to create more resilience in supply chains to face future pandemics and other disruptions.