IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecolab/v24y2013i3p433-455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pyramid subcontracting and moral detachment: Down-sourcing risk and responsibility in the management of transnational labour in Asia

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Wise

Abstract

Major transformations in the organisation of labour are having a profound effect on the moral character of the labour-capital contract. Using two small case studies undertaken in Singapore as a starting point, this article reflects on the moral economies of supply chain capitalism. Detailing examples of the human impacts of down-sourcing risk through ‘flexible’ modes of transnational employment, it analyses the strategies whereby firms and governments distance themselves from these consequences. Precarious forms of employment based on pyramid subcontracting arrangements allow a disruption of the moral relation (however tenuous) that is present in traditional face-to-face employment arrangements. The article explores four strategies of moral detachment on the part of the employers, contractors and brokers in the supply chain.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Wise, 2013. "Pyramid subcontracting and moral detachment: Down-sourcing risk and responsibility in the management of transnational labour in Asia," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 24(3), pages 433-455, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:24:y:2013:i:3:p:433-455
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304613498027
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1035304613498027
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1035304613498027?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. Erol Kahveci & Theo Nichols, 2006. "The Maritime Car Carrier Industry," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Other Car Workers, chapter 3, pages 42-76, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Stefanie Toh & Michael Quinlan, 2009. "Safeguarding the global contingent workforce? Guestworkers in Australia," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(5), pages 453-471, August.
    3. Afsar, Rita., 2009. "Unravelling the vicious cycle of recruitment : labour migration from Bangladesh to the Gulf States," ILO Working Papers 994332253402676, International Labour Organization.
    4. Erol Kahveci & Theo Nichols, 2006. "The Other Car Workers," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-20938-1, September.
    5. David Weil & Carlos Mallo, 2007. "Regulating Labour Standards via Supply Chains: Combining Public/Private Interventions to Improve Workplace Compliance," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 791-814, December.
    6. Richard LOCKE & Thomas KOCHAN & Monica ROMIS & Fei QIN, 2007. "Beyond corporate codes of conduct: Work organization and labour standards at Nike's suppliers," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 146(1-2), pages 21-40, March.
    7. K.C. Zachariah & B.A. Prakash & S. Irudaya Rajan, 2002. "Gulf migration study: Employment, wages and working conditions of Kerala emigrants in the United Arab Emirates," Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers 326, Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India.
    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. Josip Franić, 2019. "Explaining workers’ role in illegitimate wage underreporting practice: Evidence from the European Union," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 30(3), pages 366-381, September.
    2. Yea, Sallie, 2022. "The produced injured: Locating workplace accidents amongst precarious migrant workmen in Singapore," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    3. Michael Rawling, 2015. "Legislative regulation of global value chains to protect workers: A preliminary assessment," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 26(4), pages 660-677, December.

    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. repec:ilo:ilowps:430295 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Christina Niforou, 2015. "Labour Leverage in Global Value Chains: The Role of Interdependencies and Multi-level Dynamics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 301-311, August.
    3. Carolyn AE Graham & David Walters, 2021. "Representation of seafarers’ occupational safety and health: Limits of the Maritime Labour Convention," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 32(2), pages 266-282, June.
    4. Syamantak Bhattacharya & Lijun Tang, 2013. "Fatigued for safety? Supply chain occupational health and safety initiatives in shipping," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 34(3), pages 383-399, August.
    5. Nik Winchester & Nicholas Bailey, 2012. "Making Sense of ‘Global’ Social Justice: Claims for Justice in a Global Labour Market," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 17(4), pages 80-91, November.
    6. Chikako Oka, 2010. "Channels of buyer influence and labor standard compliance: the case of Cambodia's garment sector," Post-Print hal-02952274, HAL.
    7. Mevan Jayasinghe & Larry W. (Chip) Hunter, 2020. "The Impact of Suppliers’ Adoption of Voluntary Labour Codes/Certifications on Job Quality in Global Supply Chains: The Sri Lankan Case of Garments without Guilt," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(4), pages 844-873, December.
    8. Faúndez, Julio., 2005. "A view on international labour standards, labour law and MSEs," ILO Working Papers 994302953402676, International Labour Organization.
    9. Lone Riisgaard & Nikolaus Hammer, 2011. "Prospects for Labour in Global Value Chains: Labour Standards in the Cut Flower and Banana Industries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 168-190, March.
    10. S.Irudaya Rajan & Bernard D Sami & S.Samuel Asir Raj, 2017. "Tamil Nadu Migration Survey 2015," Working Papers id:12075, eSocialSciences.
    11. Dejardin, Amelita King., 2009. "Gender (in)equality, globalization and governance," ILO Working Papers 994327273402676, International Labour Organization.
    12. 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.
    13. Md. Hashibul Hassan & Lubna Jebin, 2018. "Comparative Capability of Migrant and Non-Migrant Households: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 8(5), pages 618-640, May.
    14. Philip James & Lilian Miles & Richard Croucher & Mark Houssart, 2019. "Regulating factory safety in the Bangladeshi garment industry," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 431-444, September.
    15. Andrees, Beate. & Nasri, Alix. & Swiniarski, Peter., 2015. "Regulating labour recruitment to prevent human trafficking and to foster fair migration : models, challenges and opportunities," ILO Working Papers 994880853402676, International Labour Organization.
    16. Torky Althaqafi, 2023. "Environmental and Social Factors in Supplier Assessment: Fuzzy-Based Green Supplier Selection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, November.
    17. KC.Zachariah & S.Irudaya Rajan, 2007. "Economic and social dynamics of migration in Kerala, 1999-2004: Analysis of panel data," Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers 384, Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India.
    18. Lucio Baccaro & Valentina Mele, 2012. "Pathology of Path Dependency? The ILO and the Challenge of New Governance," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 65(2), pages 195-224, April.
    19. Selvaraj Velayutham, 2013. "Precarious experiences of Indians in Australia on 457 temporary work visas," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 24(3), pages 340-361, September.
    20. Ankita Patnaik, "undated". "Exploring External Data to Enhance Monitoring and Evaluation of WHD’s Compliance Strategies," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 13d036c972ee44c491704e496, Mathematica Policy Research.
    21. repec:ilo:ilowps:488085 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jodi L. Short & Michael W. Toffel & Andrea R. Hugill, 2016. "Code Contingencies: Designing Monitoring Regimes to Promote Improvement in Supply Chain Working Conditions," Harvard Business School Working Papers 17-001, Harvard Business School, revised Mar 2019.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foreign workers Singapore; globalisation; human rights; Indian foreign workers low-paid workers; migrant labour; migration; neo-liberalism; precarious work; racism; supply chain; vulnerable workers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

    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:sae:ecolab:v:24:y:2013:i:3:p:433-455. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.