The Promise and Perils of Private Voluntary Regulation: Labor Standards and Work Organization in Two Mexican Garment Factories

This paper is part of a larger project on globalization and labor standards organized by Professor Richard Locke of M.I.T.. In addition to the results presented in this paper (some of which appear as well in Monica Romis, "Beneath Corporate Codes of Conduct: What Drives Compliance in Two Mexican Garment Factories," (Masters Thesis, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T., 2005)), the project entailed field research in China, Turkey, Europe and the United States as well as systematic analysis of Nike’s factory audits of working conditions in over 800 factories in 51 countries.What role can private voluntary regulation play in improving labor standards and working conditions in global supply chain factories? How does this system relate to and interact with other systems of labor regulation and work organization? This paper seeks to address these questions through a structured comparison of two factories supplying Nike, the world’s largest athletic footwear and apparel company. These two factories have many similarities - both are in Mexico, both are in the apparel industry, both produce more or less the same products for Nike (and other brands) and both are subject to the same code of conduct. On the surface, both factories appear to have similar employment (i.e., recruitment, training, remuneration) practices and they receive comparable scores when audited by Nike’s compliance staff. However, underlying (and somewhat obscured by) these apparent similarities, significant differences in actual labor conditions exist between these two factories. What drives these differences in working conditions? What does this imply for traditional systems of monitoring and codes of conduct? Field research conducted at these two factories reveals that beneath the code of conduct and various monitoring efforts aimed at enforcing it, workplace conditions and labor standards are shaped by very different patterns of work organization and human resource management policies

Competitiveness of Small Enterprises: Clusters, Business Environment and Local Development

This summary of the presentations and discussions of the participants in the meeting "Competitiveness of Small Enterprises: Clusters, Business Environment and Local Development", aims to find the common thread that ties the themes of the presentations together

Cultural Industries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities

Over the past decade, the new creative-cultural industries have increasingly become one of the main sources of greater production and employment in many countries. Although the growth of cultural industries has been mostly limited to the world's richest countries, a number of low- and middle-income countries have come to recognize that they too can participate in the cultural economy. In this regard, Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have begun to identify new opportunities and are actively seeking sustainable solutions to maintain these industries as an integral part of cultural and economic life. The objective of this paper is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of cultural industries in LAC and offer lessons learned through this analysis to policymakers and donors. This study demonstrates the value and the potential for cultural industries in the LAC economy and also identifies the need for a comprehensive approach, structured policies, and targeted interventions aimed at improving the conditions and prospects of these industries

Beneth corporate codes of conduct : what drives compliance in two Mexican garment factories

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-144).This thesis addresses the question: under what conditions do corporate codes of conduct work? To answer this question, I develop two case studies of subcontracting factories that are subject to a multinational company's (MNC) code of conduct. These two factories have many similarities-both are in Mexico, both are in the apparel industry, and both produce for the same MNC. In addition, on the surface, they appear to have similar labor practices. They have comparable policies vis-à-vis their workers in terms of recruitment, promotion system, grievance system, and benefits. However, upon conducting fieldwork at the plants, I found that, despite similarities on paper, there are significantly differences in actual labor conditions. One factory complies with the code of conduct and the other does not. I argue that the code of conduct, and other similar policies, are "filtered" by the management, which results in different labor conditions. Four factors influence the way managers treat their workers and interact with the MNC external labor markets, product markets, cultural and language conditions inside the plants, and values of management. These factors influence the management style of the plants and their relationship with the MNC, which result in different implementation of the same policies, and, in turn, different labor conditions.by Monica Romis.M.C.P

Competitiveness of Small Enterprises: Clusters, Business Environment and Local Development

This summary of the presentations and discussions of the participants in the meeting "Competitiveness of Small Enterprises: Clusters, Business Environment and Local Development", aims to find the common thread that ties the themes of the presentations together.Business Development, PLED

The Sustainability of Urban Heritage Preservation: The Case of Oaxaca de Juarez

This paper presents the main findings of a case study of the preservation of the historic center of Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. The historic center of Oaxaca can be considered a well-preserved area with expanding social, cultural, and economic urban activities. The case study analyzes the key factors that led to Oaxaca's success in the preservation of its historic center

Cultural Industries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities

Over the past decade, the new creative-cultural industries have increasingly become one of the main sources of greater production and employment in many countries. Although the growth of cultural industries has been mostly limited to the world's richest countries, a number of low- and middle-income countries have come to recognize that they too can participate in the cultural economy. In this regard, Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have begun to identify new opportunities and are actively seeking sustainable solutions to maintain these industries as an integral part of cultural and economic life. The objective of this paper is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of cultural industries in LAC and offer lessons learned through this analysis to policymakers and donors. This study demonstrates the value and the potential for cultural industries in the LAC economy and also identifies the need for a comprehensive approach, structured policies, and targeted interventions aimed at improving the conditions and prospects of these industries.Heritage Conservation, Culture & Arts, Publicacion

City Development: Experiences in the Preservation of Ten World Heritage Sites

The IDB undertakes multiple activities in support of urban heritage preservation, including the provision of investment loans and reimbursable and nonreimbursable technical cooperation. The IDB also organizes policy debates, seminars, and technical exchanges among cities, and produces technical publications. The present study is intended to increase available knowledge on factors contributing to the long-term sustainability of urban heritage preservation efforts. In particular, the IDB seeks to expand the understanding of the economic aspects of sustainable preservation that are complementary to the social, environmental, and institutional aspects of heritage preservation that are better understood. The studies presented in this publication are intended to fill a knowledge gap and improve the overall effectiveness of urban heritage preservation and development efforts in the Latin American and Caribbean region, as well as in other regions around the world.