Social Sustainability from Upstream: Important Takeaways from DBL Group’s People Programmes in the Bangladeshi Apparel Supply Chain

Enrico Fontana ()
Additional contact information
Enrico Fontana: Chulalongkorn University

Chapter Chapter 13 in Sustainable Consumption and Production, Volume II, 2021, pp 281-302 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Despite the increasing attention of Global Value Chain (GVC) scholars towards multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) for social sustainability, international buyers such as apparel retailers (buyers) keep being referred to as ‘lead’ change agents. In this chapter, I problematize this inherent notion of buyers’ change agency in GVC literature, arguing for the need to understand more deeply the contribution of developing countries’ manufacturers to MSIs and their ability to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from upstream. I do so by conveying a powerful analysis of DBL Group (DBL), one of the most socially proactive manufacturers operating in the Bangladeshi apparel supply chain. By drawing closely on DBL’s approach in articulating its People programmes for social sustainability, this chapter helps conceptualize a three-step governance process based on: (1) learning, (2) integrating and (3) scaling. This process informs how developing countries’ manufacturers can participate with MSIs to lead and diffuse social sustainability programmes in the chain, ultimately helping achieve the SDGs. The chapter concludes with a main discussion on the implications of buyers’ change agency assumed in GVC literature. In so doing, it conveys five distinct takeaways of theoretical and practical import.

Keywords: Global value chains; Social sustainability; Bangladeshi apparel supply chain; DBL group (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-030-55285-5_13

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783030552855

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-55285-5_13

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().