CLUSTERS, CHAINS, AND COMPLIANCE:Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance

Abstract:

A recent concern in the debate on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries relates to the tension between demands for CSR compliance found in many global value chains (GVCs) and the search for locally appropriate responses to these pressures. In this context an emerging and relatively understudied area of interest relates to small firm industrial clusters. Local clusters offer the potential for local joint action, and thus a basis for improving local compliance on CSR through collective monitoring and local governance.

This paper explores the interrelationship between global governance, exercised through GVC ties, and local governance, via cluster institutions, in ensuring compliance with CSR pressures. It undertakes a comparative analysis of two leading export oriented football manufacturing clusters in South Asia that have both faced common challenges on child labour. The paper shows that both vertical and horizontal governance have played a part in shaping the response of the two clusters on child labour. Moreover, these two distinct forms of governance have also led to quite differentiated outcomes in terms of forms of work organization and child labor monitoring. This raises broader questions on how global CSR demands can be better locally embedded and the conditions under which football stitchers labour in these new work forms.

But, if you do register, we will have a 'brown bag' sandwich available for you at the seminar.

Register with Gurli Jakobsen : gj.ikl@cbs.dk

The papers are available from gj.ikl@cbs.dk

Keywords

Global Value Chains, Industrial Clusters, Corporate Social Responsibility, South Asia

---

This event is one of a series of cbsCSR "Brown Bag" research seminars, where new research will be presented during an informal lunch hour.