Industry Best Practices for Corporate Open Sourcing

Companies usually don’t share the source code for the software they develop. While this approach is justified in software that constitutes differentiating intellectual property, proprietary development can lead to redundant development and other opportunity costs. In response, companies are increasingly open sourcing some if not all of their non-differentiating software. Given the limited academic research on this emerging topic, we bridge the gap between industry and academia by taking a practice-based approach. We investigate why and how companies engage in corporate open sourcing. We take an exploratory case study approach. Our cases are four companies with multibillion-dollar revenues each: A major e-commerce company based in Germany; a leading social networking service company based in the USA; a cloud computing software company based in the USA; and a manufacturing and media software company based in the USA. We present the resulting theory in an actionable format of state-of-the-art best practice patterns

The Structural Crisis of Labor Flexibility

Paper evaluating the CCC’s aims, strategies, and activities. It includes an analysis of the persistence of poor working conditions in the garment industry; an overview of CCC strategies and the debate over codes of conduct, monitoring, and verification; and the description of three broad strategies for future action aimed at increasing the impact of voluntary, private instruments on working conditions

Time to Raise the Bar: The Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.ILRF_Time_to_Raise_the_Bar_Hershey.pdf: 2396 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Global communication part 2: the use of apparel product data management technology

Improving IT communication systems, through the evolution of future PDM applications, is a theme that has received attention due to its perceived benefits in developing global supply chain success factors. This paper discusses the developments and capabilities of such systems, found within global fashion supply chain relationships and environments. Major characteristics identified within the data suggest that PDM technology appears to be improving the speed of data transfer; however, evidence also suggest that the technologies are evolving quicker than consumer understanding, and arguably cost more to implement, train staff and maintain. Nevertheless, PDM technology increases communication efficiency and helps to enhance social economic and corporate development. The article discusses the findings and also presents the issues regarding human interaction; iconography, infrastructure necessity and individual communication enhancements using a variety of technology processes. PDM technology adoption is still a prevalent topic for the long-term developments of global strategy and communication amalgamation

Carting Away the Oceans 8

Greenpeace released the 8th edition of its annual report, Carting Away the Oceans, which evaluates 26 major retailers on their seafood sourcing and sustainability. Whole foods and Safeway topped the ranking guide. Four supermarkets -- Roundy's, Bi-Lo, Save Mart and Publix -- failed altogether. Kroger, the fifth biggest food retailer in the world, is exposed for selling the most Red List species of any U.S. grocery chain, for the third consecutive year."Consumers want to be able to walk into their local grocery store and know that all the options are sustainable," said James Mitchell, Greenpeace Senior Oceans Campaigner. "That's why Greenpeace is pushing companies like Bi-Lo, Save Mart and Roundy's to drastically improve their sourcing, so that making the right decision is easy for their customers."Hy-Vee was evaluated for the first time and immediately entered the top five best performing retailers for sustainable seafood sourcing.Four of the top five supermarkets have, or will shortly launch private label (store brand) sustainable canned tuna products. Consumers will now be able to find sustainable and affordable alternatives to destructively-caught tuna at Whole Foods, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Hy-Vee, and Walmart. The report gives further credit to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's for not stocking Bumblebee, Chicken of the Sea or StarKist's tuna, which are caught using destructive fishing methods."When Greenpeace started ranking America's retailers on seafood sustainability in 2008, every company failed. We've seen huge improvements since then, yet grocery giants like Kroger are still stocking too many threatened Red List species, which are often caught using highly destructive fishing methods." said Mitchell.Despite progress made by the retail sector overall, overfishing, destructive fishing, and illegal fishing are still major problems for ocean conservation and the economies of developing countries.  Populations of the ocean's top predators like sharks, tuna, and swordfish have dropped by as much as 90% over the past half-century.  Bycatch - where species like sharks and turtles are caught unintentionally in the process of fishing, then thrown back into the sea dead or dying - threatens marine ecosystems as well as global food security.

Clearing the Hurdles: Steps to Improving Wages and Working Conditions in the Global Sportwear Industry

CCC_Clearing_the_Hurdles.pdf: 1032 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Global communication part 1: the use of apparel CAD technology

Trends needed for improved communication systems, through the development of future computer-aided design technology (CAD) applications, is a theme that has received attention due to its perceived benefits in improving global supply chain efficiencies. This article discusses the developments of both 2D and 3D computer-aided design capabilities, found within global fashion supply chain relationships and environments. Major characteristics identified within the data suggest that CAD/CAM technology appears to be improving; however, evidence also suggest a plateau effect, which is accrediting forced profits towards information technology manufactures, and arguably compromising the industry's competitive advantage. Nevertheless, 2D CAD increases communication speed; whereas 3D human interaction technology is seen to be evolving slowly and questionably with limited success. The article discusses the findings and also presents the issues regarding human interaction; technology education; and individual communication enhancements using technology processes. These are still prevalent topics for the future developments of global strategy and cultural communication amalgamation

Life Cycle Costing and Food Systems: Concepts, Trends, and Challenges of Impact Valuation

Our global food systems create pervasive environmental, social, and health impacts. Impact valuation is an emerging concept that aims to quantify all environmental, social, and health costs of food systems in an attempt to make the true cost of food more transparent. It also is designed to facilitate the transformation of global food systems. The concept of impact valuation is emerging at the same time as, and partly as a response to, calls for the development of legal mechanisms to address environmental, social, and health concerns. Information has long been understood both as a necessary precursor for regulation and as a regulatory tool in and of itself. With global supply chains and widespread impacts, data necessary to produce robust and complete impact valuation requires participation and cooperation from a variety of food system actors. New costing methods, beyond basic accounting, are necessary to incorporate the scope of impacts and stakeholders. Furthermore, there are a range of unanswered questions surrounding realizations of impact valuation methods, e.g. data sharing, international privacy, corporate transparency, limitations on valuation itself, and data collection standardization. Because of the proliferation of calls for costing tools, this article steps back and assesses the current development of impact valuation methods. In this article, we review current methods and initiatives for the implementation of food system impact valuation. We conclude that in some instances, calls for the implementation of costing have outpaced available and reliable data collection and current costing techniques. Many existing initiatives are being developed without adequate consideration of the legal challenges that hinder implementation. Finally, we conclude with a reminder that although impact valuation tools are most often sought and implemented in service of market-based tools for reform, they can also serve as a basis for robust public policies