IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jscmgt/v57y2021i2p14-28.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Worker‐Driven Supply Chain Governance: Developing Decent Work Through Democratic Worker Participation

Author

Listed:
  • Juliane Reinecke
  • Jimmy Donaghey

Abstract

The management of working conditions in global supply chains has become a pressing issue in supply chain research and practice. In the absence of effective public labor regulation, most of the focus to date has been on supplier auditing and compliance with codes of conduct. The question of how workers themselves can be part of the decent work governance architecture in a post‐Fordist era has received far less attention. Grounded in industrial democracy, this article proposes the concept of worker‐driven supply chain governance—the democratic participation of workers and their representatives in supply chain governance systems at both the transnational and workplace levels. It develops a sensitizing framework for understanding how buyer companies can foster decent work through enabling democratic participation of workers in their supply chains through trade unions and other representative structures. In doing so, this article demonstrates the potential of supply chain management scholarship to expand its reach through studying the role of worker representation in supply chain governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Towards Worker‐Driven Supply Chain Governance: Developing Decent Work Through Democratic Worker Participation," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 14-28, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jscmgt:v:57:y:2021:i:2:p:14-28
    DOI: 10.1111/jscm.12250
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12250
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jscm.12250?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jorge A. Rodríguez & Cristina Giménez Thomsen & Daniel Arenas & Mark Pagell, 2016. "NGOs’ Initiatives to Enhance Social Sustainability in the Supply Chain: Poverty Alleviation through Supplier Development Programs," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 52(3), pages 83-108, July.
    2. Wilhelm, Miriam & Blome, Constantin & Wieck, Ellen & Xiao, Cheng Yong, 2016. "Implementing sustainability in multi-tier supply chains: Strategies and contingencies in managing sub-suppliers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 196-212.
    3. Jonathan L. Johnson & Kevin J. Dooley & David G. Hyatt & Andrew M. Hutson, 2018. "EMERGING DISCOURSE INCUBATOR: Cross†Sector Relations in Global Supply Chains: A Social Capital Perspective," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 54(2), pages 21-33, April.
    4. Sarah Ashwin & Chikako Oka & Elke Schuessler & Rachel Alexander & Nora Lohmeyer, 2020. "Spillover Effects across Transnational Industrial Relations Agreements: The Potential and Limits of Collective Action in Global Supply Chains," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(4), pages 995-1020, August.
    5. Sarah Ashwin & Chikako Oka & Elke Schüssler & Rachel Alexander & Nora Lohmeyer, 2020. "Spillover Effects Across Transnational Industrial Relations Agreements: The Potential and Limits of Collective Action in Global Supply Chains," Post-Print hal-02952125, HAL.
    6. Chengyong Xiao & Miriam Wilhelm & Taco van der Vaart & Dirk Pieter van Donk, 2019. "Inside the Buying Firm: Exploring Responses to Paradoxical Tensions in Sustainable Supply Chain Management," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 55(1), pages 3-20, January.
    7. Dawkins, Cedric E., 2012. "Labored Relations: Corporate Citizenship, Labor Unions, and Freedom of Association," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(3), pages 473-500, July.
    8. Sadaat Ali Yawar & Stefan Seuring, 2017. "Management of Social Issues in Supply Chains: A Literature Review Exploring Social Issues, Actions and Performance Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 621-643, March.
    9. Chris F. Wright, 2016. "Leveraging Reputational Risk: Sustainable Sourcing Campaigns for Improving Labour Standards in Production Networks," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 195-210, August.
    10. Jimmy Donaghey & Juliane Reinecke, 2018. "When Industrial Democracy Meets Corporate Social Responsibility — A Comparison of the Bangladesh Accord and Alliance as Responses to the Rana Plaza Disaster," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(1), pages 14-42, March.
    11. Greg Distelhorst & Jens Hainmueller & Richard M. Locke, 2017. "Does Lean Improve Labor Standards? Management and Social Performance in the Nike Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(3), pages 707-728, March.
    12. Christoph G. Schmidt & Kai Foerstl & Birte Schaltenbrand, 2017. "The Supply Chain Position Paradox: Green Practices and Firm Performance," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 53(1), pages 3-25, January.
    13. Richard B. Freeman & Edward P. Lazear, 1995. "An Economic Analysis of Works Councils," NBER Chapters, in: Works Councils: Consultation, Representation, and Cooperation in Industrial Relations, pages 27-52, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Rejaul Hasan & Marguerite Moore & Robert Handfield, 2020. "Addressing Social Issues in Commodity Markets: Using Cost Modeling as an Enabler of Public Policy in the Bangladeshi Apparel Industry," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 56(4), pages 25-44, October.
    15. Kelly Pike, 2020. "Voice in Supply Chains: Does the Better Work Program Lead to Improvements in Labor Standards Compliance?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(4), pages 913-938, August.
    16. Jon F. Kirchoff & Ayman Omar & Brian S. Fugate, 2016. "A Behavioral Theory of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Decision Making in Non-exemplar Firms," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 52(1), pages 41-65, January.
    17. Jette Steen Knudsen, 2018. "Government Regulation of International Corporate Social Responsibility in the US and the UK: How Domestic Institutions Shape Mandatory and Supportive Initiatives," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(1), pages 164-188, March.
    18. Matthew Amengual & Greg Distelhorst & Danny Tobin, 2020. "Global Purchasing as Labor Regulation: The Missing Middle," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(4), pages 817-840, August.
    19. Brian Fugate & Mark Pagell & Barbara Flynn, 2019. "From the Editors: Introduction to the Emerging Discourse Incubator on the Topic of Research at the Intersection of Supply Chain Management and Public Policy and Government Regulation," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 55(2), pages 3-5, April.
    20. Niklas Egels-Zandén & Jeroen Merk, 2014. "Private Regulation and Trade Union Rights: Why Codes of Conduct Have Limited Impact on Trade Union Rights," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(3), pages 461-473, September.
    21. Elke Schuessler & Stephen J. Frenkel & Chris F. Wright, 2019. "Governance of Labor Standards in Australian and German Garment Supply Chains: The Impact of Rana Plaza," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 72(3), pages 552-579, May.
    22. Ashwin, Sarah & Oka, Chikako & Schüßler, Elke & Alexander, Rachel & Lohmeyer, Nora, 2020. "Spillover effects across transnational industrial relations agreements: the potential and limits of collective action in global supply chains," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100997, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    23. Jury Gualandris & Robert D. Klassen, 2018. "EMERGING DISCOURSE INCUBATOR: Delivering Transformational Change: Aligning Supply Chains and Stakeholders in Non†Governmental Organizations," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 54(2), pages 34-48, April.
    24. Andreas Georg Scherer & Guido Palazzo, 2011. "The New Political Role of Business in a Globalized World: A Review of a New Perspective on CSR and its Implications for the Firm, Governance, and Democracy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(4), pages 899-931, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Constantin Blome & Stephan Manning & Martin C. Schleper, 2022. "The contest for value in global value chains: Correcting for distorted distribution in the global apparel industry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(8), pages 1836-1840, October.
    2. Schleper, Martin C. & Blome, Constantin & Stevenson, Mark & Thürer, Matthias & Tusell, Iu, 2022. "When it’s the slaves that pay: In search of a fair due diligence cost distribution in conflict mineral supply chains," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Seongtae Kim & Sangho Chae & Stephan M. Wagner & Jason W. Miller, 2022. "Buyer abusive behavior and supplier welfare: An empirical study of truck owner–operators," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 58(4), pages 90-111, October.
    4. Gabriela Gutierrez-Huerter O & Stefan Gold & Alexander Trautrims, 2023. "Change in Rhetoric but not in Action? Framing of the Ethical Issue of Modern Slavery in a UK Sector at High Risk of Labor Exploitation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 35-58, January.
    5. Peter Hasle & Jan Vang, 2021. "Designing Better Interventions: Insights from Research on Decent Work," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 58-70, April.
    6. Mouzas, Stefanos, 2022. "What drives business transformation? Evidence from manufacturer-retailer networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 282-293.
    7. Chunyun Li & Sarosh Kuruvilla, 2023. "Corporate codes of conduct and labour turnover in global apparel supply chains," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 481-505, September.
    8. Vivek Soundararajan & Miriam M. Wilhelm & Andrew Crane, 2021. "Humanizing Research on Working Conditions in Supply Chains: Building a Path to Decent Work," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 3-13, April.
    9. Nikolaus Hammer, 2023. "Searching for institutions: upgrading, private compliance, and due diligence in European apparel value chains," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 29(3), pages 371-386, August.
    10. Kunz, Nathan & Chesney, Thomas & Trautrims, Alexander & Gold, Stefan, 2023. "Adoption and transferability of joint interventions to fight modern slavery in food supply chains," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    11. Babbitt, Laura G. & Brown, Drusilla & Antolin, Ana & Toosi, Negin R., 2023. "Improving migration experiences for workers: Recruitment practices along the Bangladesh–Qatar corridor," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schüßler, Elke & Lohmeyer, Nora & Ashwin, Sarah, 2022. "We can't compete on human rights: creating market-protected spaces to institutionalize the emerging logic of responsible management," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115506, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Stephen J. FRENKEL & Elke S. SCHUESSLER, 2021. "From Rana Plaza to COVID‐19: Deficiencies and opportunities for a new labour governance system in garment global supply chains," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 591-609, December.
    3. Chunyun Li & Sarosh Kuruvilla, 2023. "Corporate codes of conduct and labour turnover in global apparel supply chains," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 481-505, September.
    4. Miriam Wilhelm & Veronica H. Villena, 2021. "Cascading Sustainability in Multi‐tier Supply Chains: When Do Chinese Suppliers Adopt Sustainable Procurement?," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(11), pages 4198-4218, November.
    5. Chikako Oka & Niklas Egels‐Zandén & Rachel Alexander, 2020. "Buyer Engagement and Labour Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Bangladesh Accord and Beyond," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 51(5), pages 1306-1330, September.
    6. Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Political CSR at the Coalface – The Roles and Contradictions of Multinational Corporations in Developing Workplace Dialogue," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 457-486, March.
    7. Matthew Amengual & Sarosh Kuruvilla, 2020. "Editorial Essay: Introduction to a Special Issue on Improving Private Regulation of Labor in Global Supply Chains: Theory and Evidence," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(4), pages 809-816, August.
    8. Yossi Dahan & Hanna Lerner & Faina Milman-Sivan, 2023. "Shared Responsibility and Labor Rights in Global Supply Chains," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1025-1040, February.
    9. Jonathan Morris & Jean Jenkins & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Uneven Development, Uneven Response: The Relentless Search for Meaningful Regulation of GVCs," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(1), pages 3-24, March.
    10. Vivek Soundararajan & Miriam M. Wilhelm & Andrew Crane, 2021. "Humanizing Research on Working Conditions in Supply Chains: Building a Path to Decent Work," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 3-13, April.
    11. Oka, Chikako & Egels-Zandén, Niklas & Alexander, Rachel, 2020. "Buyer engagement and labour conditions in global supply chains: the Bangladesh Accord and beyond," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 106695, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Sarah Ashwin & Naila Kabeer & Elke Schüßler, 2020. "Contested Understandings in the Global Garment Industry after Rana Plaza," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 51(5), pages 1296-1305, September.
    13. Aline Pietrix Seepma & Dirk Pieter van Donk & Carolien de Blok, 2021. "On publicness theory and its implications for supply chain integration: The case of criminal justice supply chains," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(3), pages 72-103, July.
    14. Jean‐Christophe Graz & Jimena Sobrino Piazza & André Walter, 2022. "Labour Standards in Global Production Networks: Assessing Transnational Private Regulation and Workers’ Capacity to Act," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(4), pages 912-937, July.
    15. Sini Laari & Tomi Solakivi & Anu Bask & Juuso Töyli & Lauri Ojala, 2021. "Unravelling Mickey Mouse: The Effect of Supply Chain Position and Organisational Slack on the Uneven Balance of Sustainability Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Chikako Oka & Niklas Egels‐zandén & Rachel Alexander, 2020. "Buyer Engagement and Labour Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Bangladesh Accord and Beyond," Post-Print hal-02952114, HAL.
    17. Anne M. Quarshie & Rudolf Leuschner, 2020. "Interorganizational Interaction in Disaster Response Networks: A Government Perspective," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 56(3), pages 3-25, July.
    18. John S. Ahlquist & Layna Mosley, 2021. "Firm participation in voluntary regulatory initiatives: The Accord, Alliance, and US garment importers from Bangladesh," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 317-343, April.
    19. Sarosh Kuruvilla & Chunyun Li, 2021. "Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining in Global Supply Chains: A Research Agenda," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 43-57, April.
    20. Fabiola MIERES & Siobhán MCGRATH, 2021. "Ripe to be heard: Worker voice in the Fair Food Program," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 631-647, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jscmgt:v:57:y:2021:i:2:p:14-28. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1523-2409 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.