Stopping the Exploitation of Workers: An Analysis of the Effective Application of Consumer or Socio-Political Pressure

Commodity chain analysis (Bair and Ramsay, 2003 Multinational Companies and Global Human Resource Strategies) is used to explore where economic pressure (from consumers) or socio-political pressure (from governments and NGOs) can be applied to reduce worker exploitation. Six paths are illustrated with examples of successful and unsuccessful application of pressure. Three conclusions are reached :Economic pressure on companies and brand owners is more likely to lead to improved workplace conditions than socio-political pressure; Brand owners are more likely to implement improved workplace conditions than retailers; and Retailers who are under extreme consumer price pressure will resist improving workplace conditions. Dr. Gina L.S. Pines received her Ph.D. in Business, Organization and Policy Studies from The City University of New York, Bernard Baruch College of Business. She has held faculty positions at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), Rensselaer at Hartford, Fairfield University and Central Connecticut State University. Presently, she is a Visiting Associate Professor of Business Strategy and Policy at the University of Hartford. Prior to her university work, Dr. Pines developed public–private partnerships for The New York City Partnership (a Rockefeller foundation) and The New York City Public Schools. While at the New York City Partnership Dr. Pines developed, applied for and was granted by the New York State Senate, $1.4 million for start up programs and research in business–education partnerships for 10 consecutive years. Dr. Pines has delivered numerous white papers to the New York State Senate. She has presented at academic conferences, most recently in London on human rights violations and corporate social responsibility. Her research has examined CEO career paths and firm strategic choice, strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation and the exploitation of women and children in lesser developed nations. Presently, she is developing a model specifying the linkages among “guilt triggers” corporate social responsibility and the exploitation of women and children in lesser developed nations. David Meyer is a Professor of Management and Organization at Central Connecticut State University and a Research Fellow at the Fraser Center, Wayne State University. His Ph.D. is in Organizational Behavior and Industrial Relations from the University of Michigan. His research concerns workplace justice, implementing strategy, and problem solving in organizations. He has published in the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Industrial Relations, and others.