Business models & labour standards: making the connection

Despite retailers spending significant sums on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and other related initiatives, little progress is being made in terms of developing substantive improvements in working conditions for production workers. Commissioned by ETI and in partnership with Kings College London and University of Warwick, this report explores two key weaknesses in current business models:

First, at the level of production, CSR initiatives have been criticised for being little more than a ‘sticking plaster’ and for being more about protection of corporate reputations than really improving the conditions of workers.

Secondly, and the main focus of this report, is that while such initiatives may be well meaning, they are aimed at treating the symptoms of the problem rather than tackling the underlying causes: the very nature of the business model.