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From Employment Relations to Consumption Relations: Balancing Labor Governance in Global Supply Chains
Author(s) -
Donaghey Jimmy,
Reinecke Juliane,
Niforou Christina,
Lawson Benn
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/hrm.21552
Subject(s) - industrial relations , multinational corporation , labor relations , corporate governance , consumption (sociology) , global governance , business , supply chain , collective bargaining , industrial organization , economics , market economy , economic system , labour economics , sociology , management , marketing , finance , social science
Global supply chains are part of the corporate strategy of many multinational companies, often with adverse effects on labor conditions. While employment relations scholars focus on a production‐oriented paradigm, revolving around interactions among employers, workers, and government, much of the activism motivating the development of private labor standards is based around companies' relations with their consumers. This article proposes an analytical framework conceptualizing the interface of employment relations and consumption relations within global supply chains, identifying four regimes of labor governance: governance gaps, collective bargaining, standards markets, and complementary regimes. Finally, we suggest a research agenda for examining the role of consumption relations in the changing nature of global labor governance. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.