• Describe theories and concepts covered in the course readings that are relevant to the analysis of CSR in global production networks
• Apply concepts and theories from the course to analyse how CSR in global production networks is embedded in developing country contexts.
• Critically evaluate the theories, their application and limitations in relation to explaining how CSR in global production networks affects and is affected by local producers, workers, and communities in Asia, Africa, or Latin America.
• Demonstrate appropriate academic writing skills, including: correct referencing, clear argumentation and correct usage and definition of key concepts.

In the last twenty years several international media and NGO reports have highlighted poor labor and environmental conditions at the base of the global production networks of internationally branded companies such as Nike, Puma, Apple, and Levi’s. The emergence of so-called sweatshops in formal factory, semi-formal workshops, or home-based settings has prompted these companies to develop ethical guidelines that they require their suppliers in developing countries to abide by. More recently, multi-stakeholder initiatives have emerged in which brands, factories/farms, NGOs, governments, and other organizations join hands in trying to address CSR challenges in export-oriented industries in developing countries.

In this course, we explore the potential and limitations of CSR in global production networks in relation to improving poor work and environmental conditions in export-oriented industries in developing countries. We do this through the lens of private, public, civil society, and multistakeholder governance. First, we look at “private governance” - the role that private sector companies play in self-regulating the economic, social, and environmental impacts of export-oriented and domestic industries in developing countries. First, we highlight the pros and cons of the two dominant approaches to buyer-driven CSR in global production networks – the compliance and the cooperation paradigms. This leads to a discussion of whether local agglomerations of firms – so-called local industrial clusters - in developing countries are better placed to self-regulate their operations through collective action initiatives.  

The second part of the course deals with ‘public governance’ – i.e. the role of public sector agencies in regulating the economic, social, and environmental impacts of firm activities. We here analyze the strengths and weaknesses of intergovernmental agencies, particularly the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO has been instrumental in initiating social upgrading initiatives such as the Better Work and Better Factories programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This leads to a focus on the role of the state in developing countries in regulating the economic, social, and environmental impacts of export-oriented production within their countries.

The third section of the course deals with “civil governance” – i.e. how civil society organizations seek to regulate the economic, social, and environmental impacts of company operations. First, we look at transnational NGO advocacy networks, and how they influence the global brands. We then analyze the role of the international trade union movement in improving work conditions in export industries in developing countries.

In the final part of the course we zoom in on multi-stakeholder initiatives. We use the Better Cotton Initiative as an example of a “global MSI” with operations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, focusing on whether the BCI makes any positive impact on the income of farmers, the conditions of workers, and environmental pollution levels on cotton farms in developing countries.

Two cross-cutting themes run throughout the course. The first relates to how private, public, civil and MSI governance of CSR in global production networks are likely to contribute to the achievement (or undermining) of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The second has to do with impact assessment of private, public, civil society, and multi-stakeholder approaches to CSR on the earnings of firms/farmers, the conditions on workers, and environmental pollution levels in the Global South.

To be announced on Learn