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Rising above Sweatshops: Innovative Approaches to Global Labor Challenges

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The editors of "Rising Above Sweatshops" are to be commended for significantly advancing the debate over global sweatshops. This book is divided into two main sections. Part I includes original theoretical perspectives by university professors on the globalization of the supply chain from the perspective of law (Murray - La Trobe), economics/industrial relations (London - Wisconsin), moral philosophy (Arnold - Tennessee), public policy (Santoro - Rutgers), and management - (Waddock - Boston College and Bodwell - ILO). These essays are clearly written and are largely free of academic jargon. They provide an excellent overview of global labor challenges by explaining the economic and political forces that have lead to the current situation; the moral or ethical basis for respecting workers; the role played by NGO's (such as the WRC and FLA) in improving working conditions; and the idea of "total responsibility management," which is being used by some companies to balance their ethical obligations with their fiduciary obligations. Part II includes seven long, original cases studies about morally innovative labor and environmental practices. Basically, the authors of these case studies have traveled to places like Vietnam, Brazil, and Costa Rica to visit factories (e.g., Nike, adidas, Levi Strauss, Dow Chemical) and plantations (e.g., Chiquita) and observed the innovative practices of companies and NGOs at work. There are some surprises here: For example, Nike's Vietnamese factory operations include things like free after-hours education at the factory and excellent heath and safety conditions. And Dow has a remarkably environmentally friendly and safe chemical factory in Thailand. The main thing to take away from these case studies is that the apologists for bad working conditions ("it's too expensive" or "we can't control our contractors") are shown to be wrong by companies that have put in place programs that demonstrate respect for their employees. If you are involved in the "sweatshop" debate as either an activist or as a manager, you should find this book to be a valuable resource. It will help you to make the case for putting in place practices that treat employees fairly and with dignity. After all, if these companies can do it, why can't others?

INTRODUCTION - Rising Above Sweatshops edited by Laura P. Hartman, Denis G. Arnold, and Richard E. Woktuch, provides readers with two perspectives on global labor challenges, 1) through a series of academic based articles and 2) real world experiences from multi-national enterprises (MNEs). Through these articles, the book provided me with critical information and an in-depth understanding of the challenges surrounding MNEs and global labor. At a high level, there are really no international labor standards that are universally accepted or enforced, thus companies rely on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help them effectively manage labor in different parts of the world. Although these NGOs play a critical role, many of the issues are, in my opinion, no different than was experienced by any other country during their development stage.

PART I - The first section is a compilation of research articles, each evaluating human rights and global labor concerns through a slightly different lens. I would argue that there are creative ways to partner with MNEs and managers to implement sustainable solutions and share expert knowledge that does not require public flogging and scare tactics (both of which are suggested in this book). For example, authors Sandra Waddock and Charles Bodwell in their article, Total Responsibility Management (TRM), introduce a management solution that interweaves human rights into the company's vision, strategy, and continuous improvement initiatives. TRM (a play off Toyota's total quality management or TQM) is a positive attempt to empower MNEs with information and solutions to build a better organization. PART II - The second section of the book explores solutions that the following MNE's have put in place, with the help of NGOs and best practice sharing: Nike, Inc., Adidas-Salomon, Levi Strauss & Co., Dow Chemical Company, and Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

CONCLUSION - Editors, Laura P. Hartman, Denis G. Arnold, and Richard E. Woktuch in Rising Above Sweatshops, provide readers with an academic and business perspective on global labor issues. Again, Part I seeks to define what should/should not be tolerated in the workplace regardless of national origin, religious beliefs, or cultural norms. The problem is, of course, is the inability to obtain consensus across companies, governments, various NGOs, and individuals. Despite, the editors attempt to provide readers with an ethical baseline by re-defining person, freedom, and human rights. This foundation is built on the editors' (and respective authors') opinions of human rights and the roles MNEs should play in the developing world. Part II provided real-world examples of global labor solutions, various grass-roots programs, Human Resource initiatives, and NGO involvement with MNEs. This section did not expose the root cause of labor issues (organizational structure, culture, training and development, etc.). This book misses a critical root cause analysis, is based on a foundation of flawed assumptions, and leaves a lot to be desired amongst business leaders and managers of global labor.