Exposing forced labour in Malaysian electronics: the role of a social auditor in labour governance within a global production network

Gale Raj-Reichert

Global Development Institute Working Paper Series from GDI, The University of Manchester

Abstract: Research on actors that shape and influence labour governance in global production networks generally focus on the role of firms, government agencies, and nongovernmental organisations and trade unions. There has been less attention paid to the role of social auditors as agents of change in global production networks. This paper examines the case of Verité, a nonprofit social auditor, whose exposure of forced labour in the electronics industry in Malaysia brought about rapid changes to industry practices over labour governance. Significantly, its close ties to the United States federal government resulted in Verité becoming a political and ‘activist’ social auditor. This case study widens our consideration of a non-traditional actor – the social auditor – affecting and influencing labour governance in a global industry. The findings of this paper contribute to research on multi- polar governance in global production networks. In particular it demonstrates how a social auditor can help fill in governance gaps in an industry (electronics) and production location (Malaysia) that have been reticent to change and improvement for many years.

Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bwp:bwppap:052016

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