Public Disclosure, Reputation Sensitivity and Labor Law Compliance: Better Factories Cambodia
Cambodian factories are more likely to become compliant with labor standards when their audit results are publicly disclosed.
Insights
Randomized Government Safety Inspections Reduce Worker Injuries With No Detectable Job Loss
Companies became safer—experiencing fewer workplace injuries and lower injury-related costs—after they were subjected to a government health and safety inspection.
Channels of Buyer Influence and Labour Standard Compliance: The Case of Cambodia’s Garment Sector
Suppliers in Cambodia that work via sourcing agents with buyers exhibit worse compliance with ILO labor standards, compared to suppliers that work directly with buyers.
Accounting for the Gaps in Labour Standard Compliance: The Role of Reputation-Conscious Buyers in the Cambodian Garment Industry
Cambodian garment factories serving reputation-conscious buyers tend to exhibit better compliance with labor codes of conduct.
Virtue Out of Necessity?: Compliance, Commitment and the Improvement of Labor Conditions in Global Supply Chains
Suppliers improve labor standards more when auditors diffuse best practices and engage in joint problem solving and root-cause analysis, rather than threaten penalizing non-compliance.
Suppliers’ Compliance with MNCs’ Codes of Conduct: Behind the Scenes at Chinese Toy Suppliers
Multinational codes of conduct in Chinese toy factories are linked to low compliance of labor standards due to suppliers deceiving monitoring organizations.
Improving Work Conditions in a Global Supply Chain
Lean manufacturing and empowering workers to solve production problems can improve plant efficiency and worker satisfaction, per this analysis of two Mexican factories.
Do Workers Benefit from Ethical Trade? Assessing Codes of Labour Practice in Global Production Systems
Supplier codes-of-conduct have improved worker safety and working hours, but have done little to improve collective bargaining rights, per 500+ interviews with workers and union officials.
Market Movements: Nongovernmental Organization Strategies to Influence Global Production and Consumption
Activist campaigns targeting brands to make supply chains more sustainable are more effective when they are well-researched, run coordinated exposés, threaten brand reputation, and highlight sustainable alternatives.
