IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v130y2015i3p737-752.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate Social Responsibility in Garment Sourcing Networks: Factory Management Perspectives on Ethical Trade in Sri Lanka

Author

Listed:
  • Patsy Perry
  • Steve Wood
  • John Fernie

Abstract

With complex buyer-driven global production networks and a labour-intensive manufacturing process, the fashion industry has become a focal point for debates on the social responsibility of business. Utilising an interview methodology with influential actors from seven export garment manufacturers in Sri Lanka, we explore the situated knowledge at one nodal point of the production network. We conceptualise factory management perspectives on the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of the strategic balancing of ethical considerations against the commercial pressures of cost and lead time. Factory managers framed CSR in terms of compliance, rather than going above and beyond regulatory requirements; seeing it as a strategic competitive imperative and less a developmental mechanism. Sri Lankan manufacturers maintain that they have benefitted from a unique combination of factors, including strict national labour laws, an educated workforce, the characteristics of the garments produced, industrial upgrading, and long-term non-adversarial buyer–supplier relationships, which they argue has supported the establishment and maintenance of CSR practices. The paper thus provides managerial implications that relate CSR activities to CSR outcomes which include both reputational and production benefits. Such insights will be of strategic relevance for lead retail buyers as well as apparel producers keen to invest in CSR to partly mitigate against increasing price-based competition. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Patsy Perry & Steve Wood & John Fernie, 2015. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Garment Sourcing Networks: Factory Management Perspectives on Ethical Trade in Sri Lanka," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 737-752, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:130:y:2015:i:3:p:737-752
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2252-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10551-014-2252-2
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-014-2252-2?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Welford & Stephen Frost, 2006. "Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chains," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 166-176, July.
    2. Thomas Laudal, 2010. "An Attempt to Determine the CSR Potential of the International Clothing Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 96(1), pages 63-77, September.
    3. Alex Hughes, 2012. "Corporate ethical trading in an economic downturn: recessionary pressures and refracted responsibilities," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 33-54, January.
    4. John Pickles, 2006. "Trade Liberalization, Industrial Upgrading, and Regionalization in the Global Clothing Industry," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(12), pages 2201-2206, December.
    5. Frederick H Abernathy & Anthony Volpe & David Weil, 2006. "The Future of the Apparel and Textile Industries: Prospects and Choices for Public and Private Actors," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(12), pages 2207-2232, December.
    6. Paul C. Godfrey & Nile W. Hatch, 2007. "Researching Corporate Social Responsibility: An Agenda for the 21st Century," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 70(1), pages 87-98, January.
    7. François Maon & Adam Lindgreen & Valérie Swaen, 2009. "Designing and Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility: An Integrative Framework Grounded in Theory and Practice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 71-89, April.
    8. Plank, Leonhard & Rossi, Arianna & Staritz, Cornelia, 2012. "Workers and social upgrading in "fast fashion": The case of the apparel industry in Morocco and Romania," Working Papers 33, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    9. Xiaomin Yu, 2008. "Impacts of Corporate Code of Conduct on Labor Standards: A Case Study of Reebok’s Athletic Footwear Supplier Factory in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(3), pages 513-529, September.
    10. Alex Hughes, 2005. "Corporate Strategy and the Management of Ethical Trade: The Case of the UK Food and Clothing Retailers," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(7), pages 1145-1163, July.
    11. Hege M. Knutsen, 2004. "Industrial development in buyer-driven networks: the garment industry in Vietnam and Sri Lanka," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(5), pages 545-564, November.
    12. Free, Clinton, 2008. "Walking the talk? Supply chain accounting and trust among UK supermarkets and suppliers," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 629-662, August.
    13. Palpacuer, Florence & Gibbon, Peter & Thomsen, Lotte, 2005. "New Challenges for Developing Country Suppliers in Global Clothing Chains: A Comparative European Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 409-430, March.
    14. Alexander Dahlsrud, 2008. "How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, January.
    15. A. Lindgreen & Y.T. Xu & F. Maon & J. Wilcock, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility brand leadership: A multiple case study," Post-Print hal-00800278, HAL.
    16. Neil M. Coe & Peter Dicken & Martin Hess, 2008. "Global production networks: realizing the potential," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 271-295, May.
    17. Thomas Bernhardt, 2013. "Developing countries in the global apparel value chain: a tale of upgrading and downgrading experiences," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series ctg-2013-22, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    18. Stephanie BARRIENTOS & Gary GEREFFI & Arianna ROSSI, 2011. "Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a changing world," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 319-340, December.
    19. David Doorey, 2011. "The Transparent Supply Chain: from Resistance to Implementation at Nike and Levi-Strauss," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 103(4), pages 587-603, November.
    20. Marsha Dickson & Molly Eckman, 2008. "Media Portrayal of Voluntary Public Reporting About Corporate Social Responsibility Performance: Does Coverage Encourage or Discourage Ethical Management?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 725-743, December.
    21. Alex Hughes & Neil Wrigley & Martin Buttle, 2008. "Global production networks, ethical campaigning, and the embeddedness of responsible governance," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 345-367, May.
    22. Susan Christopherson & Nathan Lillie, 2005. "Neither Global Nor Standard: Corporate Strategies in the New Era of Labor Standards," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(11), pages 1919-1938, November.
    23. Kanchana N. Ruwanpura & Neil Wrigley, 2011. "The costs of compliance? Views of Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers in times of global economic crisis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(6), pages 1031-1049, November.
    24. John Pickles & Adrian Smith, 2011. "Delocalization and Persistence in the European Clothing Industry: The Reconfiguration of Trade and Production Networks," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 167-185.
    25. Alex Hughes & Martin Buttle & Neil Wrigley, 2007. "Organisational geographies of corporate responsibility: a UK-US comparison of retailers' ethical trading initiatives," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 491-513, July.
    26. Xiaomin Yu, 2009. "From Passive Beneficiary to Active Stakeholder: Workers’ Participation in CSR Movement Against Labor Abuses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 233-249, April.
    27. Gereffi, Gary, 1999. "International trade and industrial upgrading in the apparel commodity chain," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 37-70, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Prema-chandra Athukorala & Raveen Ekanayake, 2014. "Repositioning in the Global Apparel Value Chain in the Post-MFA Era: Strategic Issues and Evidence from Sri Lanka," Departmental Working Papers 2014-17, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    2. Xinyu Yang & Weidong Liu, 2022. "Agricultural Production Networks and Upgrading from a Global–Local Perspective: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Dong Hoang, 2019. "Labour Standards in the Global Supply Chain: Workers’ Agency and Reciprocal Exchange Perspective," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-25, May.
    4. Hamilton-Hart, Natasha & Stringer, Christina, 2016. "Upgrading and exploitation in the fishing industry: Contributions of value chain analysis," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 166-171.
    5. Fu Jia & Yan Jiang, 2018. "Sustainable Global Sourcing: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Jim Ormond, 2015. "New Regimes of Responsibilization: Practicing Product Carbon Footprinting in the New Carbon Economy," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(4), pages 425-448, October.
    7. Eleanor Tighe, 2016. "Voluntary governance in clothing production networks: Management perspectives on multi-stakeholder initiatives in Dhaka," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(12), pages 2504-2524, December.
    8. Staritz, Cornelia, 2012. "Apparel exports - still a path for industrial development? Dynamics in apparel global value chains and implications for low-income countries," Working Papers 34, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    9. Mia Mahmudur Rahim, 2017. "Improving Social Responsibility in RMG Industries Through a New Governance Approach in Laws," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(4), pages 807-826, July.
    10. 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.
    11. Plank, Leonhard & Rossi, Arianna & Staritz, Cornelia, 2012. "Workers and social upgrading in "fast fashion": The case of the apparel industry in Morocco and Romania," Working Papers 33, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    12. Céline GIMET & Bernard GUILHON & Nathalie ROUX, 2015. "Social upgrading in globalized production: The case of the textile and clothing industry," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 154(3), pages 303-327, September.
    13. Venkatesh, V.G. & Zhang, Abraham & Deakins, Eric & Mani, Venkatesh, 2021. "Antecedents of social sustainability noncompliance in the Indian apparel sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    14. Annelies Goger, 2013. "From Disposable to Empowered: Rearticulating Labor in Sri Lankan Apparel Factories," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(11), pages 2628-2645, November.
    15. Plank, Leonhard & Staritz, Cornelia, 2014. "Global competition, institutional context, and regional production networks: Up- and downgrading experiences in Romania's apparel industry," Working Papers 50, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    16. Jennifer Bair, 2006. "Regional Trade and Production Blocs in a Global Industry: Towards a Comparative Framework for Research," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(12), pages 2233-2252, December.
    17. Curran, Louise & Zignago, Soledad, 2012. "EU enlargement and the evolution of European production networks," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 240-257.
    18. Kucera, David & Tejani, Sheba, 2014. "Feminization, Defeminization, and Structural Change in Manufacturing," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 569-582.
    19. Céline Louche & Lotte Staelens & Marijke D’Haese, 2020. "When Workplace Unionism in Global Value Chains Does Not Function Well: Exploring the Impediments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 379-398, March.
    20. Nick Lin-Hi & Igor Blumberg, 2017. "The Power(lessness) of Industry Self-regulation to Promote Responsible Labor Standards: Insights from the Chinese Toy Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(4), pages 789-805, July.

    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:kap:jbuset:v:130:y:2015:i:3:p:737-752. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.