From Passive Beneficiary to Active Stakeholder: Workers’ Participation in CSR Movement Against Labor Abuses

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement against labor abuses has gained momentum globally since the 1990s when many corporations adopted codes of conduct to regulate labor practices in their global supply chains. However, workers’ participation in the process is relatively weak until very recently, when new worker empowerment programs are increasingly initiated. Using conceptual tool created by stakeholder theorists, this article examines dynamics and performance of worker participation in implementation process of codes of conduct through a case study of CSR practices of Reebok at one of its footwear supplier factories in south China. Empirical data was collected during 2002–2005 through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and document reviews.