Proposal: Industrial Revolution and Relevant Course Themes Essay

Submitted By soleahm
Words: 1125
Pages: 5
Open Document
The subject that I have chosen to follow through the course of UNI268H1 is the world’s second largest clothing retailer, the Swedish “fast fashion” giant Hennes & Mauritz, simply known as H&M. Attempting to balance market profits, environmental sustainability and social responsibility in an increasingly globalizing world, H&M provides opportunities for research and study in many of the course topics including trade, labour, governance, development, and environmental issues. H&M is a leading clothing retailer in Canada, and its cheap throwaway clothing provides Canadian consumers the opportunity to stay frugal and fashionable. Yet, these low prices evidently come at a high cost: H&M’s manufacturing practices have come under fire in recent years. News reports of child workers, unfair wages and factory fires have raised questions about workers’ conditions. As a response, H&M has adopted a more “ethical” and socially responsible approach to business, while maintaining profits. However, these attempts, while perhaps well-intentioned, leave much to be desired. One cannot deny that H&M has made more steps towards progressive manufacturing practices than any other fast fashion brand, including raising wages and pledging to improve working conditions at factories. Nevertheless, the nature of the global supply chain limits the actual “good” being accomplished – developing nations are still in a race to the bottom, and Manuel Castells’ notion of “a fourth world of exclusion” seems more and more likely. (Castells, 8) In this situation, what’s a Canadian consumer to do? Should we continue to buy H&M merchandise in an attempt to support a “progressive” fast fashion retailer? Or should we denounce the “race to the bottom” altogether?
Bibliography

H&M Company Code of Conduct. Web. H&M, January 20th, 2014. http://about.hm.com/content/dam/hm/about/documents/en/CSR/codeofconduct/Code%20of%20Conduct_en.pdf.

Relevant course themes: Trade, Labour, Governance, Environment.

This document outlines H&M’s Code of Conduct for “all suppliers, their subcontractors, and other business partners.” It is a very useful resource for studying H&M’s business concept – the company highlights child labour laws, building and fire safety regulations, workers’ rights and fair wages, and environmental considerations as some of its main concerns. Yet, in recent years, H&M has come under fire for violating all of these issues in various countries across the globe.

Idowu, Samuel; W.L Filho. Global Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2009. Print.

Relevant course themes: Trade, Labour, Environment.

This book examines various practices of corporate social responsibility by large corporations, including H&M. H&M does not own any factories itself, relying instead on subcontractors in countries such as China, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Although H&M’s code of conduct outlines its key principles, whether or not these rules are actually followed by the subcontractors in developing nations remains to be seen.

Pearson, Ruth; G. Seyfang. “New Hope or False Dawn? Voluntary Codes of Conduct, Labour Regulation and Social Policy in a Globalizing World.” Global Social Policy 1(1) 2001: pp. 48-78. Web. January 21st, 2014.

Relevant course themes: Labour, Development.

This article considers the strengths and weaknesses of corporate codes of conduct, including their potential for restructuring social policy towards excluded groups of workers (e.g. women) in an increasingly globalizing world. Biraj, Andrew. “Clothing Retailers Respond to Star Questions about their Labour Practices.” The Star 24 Oct. 2013. Web. January 20th, 2014. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/clothesonyourback/2013/10/24/clothing_retailers_respond_to_star_questions_about_their_labour_practices.html

Relevant course themes: Trade, Labour, Environment, Communications, Development.

In this article, various clothing retailers, including H&M,
Show More

Related Documents: Proposal: Industrial Revolution and Relevant Course Themes Essay

Essay on Music: Breast Cancer and Socio-cultural Value Chain

has become recognised as a macroeconomic asset, adding a new dimension to the historically established intrinsic value of artistic activity. As nations develop, the forces of economic growth supplant one another at an increasing tempo. The industrial revolution in the western world began to take over from the traditional agrarian economy a little more than 200 years ago, generating huge factory developments by the late 19th and early 20th century. As an economic locomotive, manufacturing began to…

Words 1524 - Pages 7

Getting Health Reform Right Ch 2 Essay

are developed, a political decision is made on reform initiatives, those reforms are then implemented, and their consequences are evaluated. The cycle then begins again, as new problems arise that must be addressed by policymakers. (Figure 2.1) Of course, in the real world, reform rarely takes place in such a simple fashion. Instead, reform efforts may begin in different places and skip stages, or several stages may occur at the same time. For example, health reformers might begin with a diagnosis…

Words 7603 - Pages 31

Essay on Procurement in Oil and Gas Industry in Developing Countries Nigeria Agip

Procurement in Oil and Gas Industry in Developing Countries A Case of AGIP Nigeria Name Course Professor Date Abstract This is a thesis about procurement process in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria with specific stress on AGIP Nigerian AGIP Energy and Natural Resource.” The report starts with an introduction to the country Nigeria itself. It develops with the research on the oil and gas sector in the country and then focuses on the AGIP and its operations. Thus the first section comprises…

Words 12230 - Pages 49

Reengineering in Access Bank Plc Essay

1.0 INTRODUCTION Access Bank Plc is on the company carrying on the business of commercial banking in Nigeria. Access Bank Plc has its registered corporate head office at Plot 1665 Oyin Jolayemi Street Victoria Island Lagos. Access bank Plc was in- corporated as a private limited liability company on February 8, 1989, to undertake the business of commercial banking and commercial operations started on May 11, 1989. The bank converted to a public limited liability company on March 24, 1989 and was…

Words 15007 - Pages 61

Résumé Marketing Management, 14th Edition - Kotler & Keller Essay

The value chain identifies nine strategically relevant activities-five primary and four support activities-that create value and cost in a specific business. He firm's infrastructure covers the costs of general management, planning, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs. The firm's task…

Words 26667 - Pages 107

Managing Information Technology (7th Edition) Essay

CONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5…

Words 239873 - Pages 960