Framing Labor (Mal)practice: An Analysis of Garment Corporations' CSR Messages About Supply Chains

• In Event: CSR: Interventions in Research and Practice (High-Density)

Abstract

This study gauges the way the garment industry constructs reality regarding its supply chains by examining related public relations frames on corporate websites. My analyses identified three frames—upholding standards, improving workers’ lives and leading revolution. By using these frames, giant corporations are able to delimit their responsibility regarding labor malpractice, especially on the issue of under-compensation. It is also evident that the frames are constructed from a corporate perspective, with little (if any) genuine voice from workers in the global South. Based on the findings of the frame analysis, I propose two meta-frames that apply across different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) situations.

Author

• Zhuo Ban, University of Cincinnati