Posted: May 8th, 2015

“What are the major challenges Multinationals Companies (MNC) face to ensure CSR along their GVC? To what extent do you think they can be held accountable for any CSR misconduct along the GVC?” GVC (global value chains)

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

The students are asked to make use of at least 8 of the course core readings and at least 3 additional readings. I will provide you with the course reading, but this are only the names, so please, you will have to look for the articles. Plus it can be helpful. I will Also include the rest of the requirements.

“What are the major challenges Multinationals Companies (MNC) face to ensure CSR along their GVC? To what extent do you think they can be held accountable for any CSR misconduct along the GVC?”

Taking this question as a starting point, students are asked to reflect on major CSR challenges as they are addressed in the course readings but also other information sources. These information sources should include other academic journal articles, but also research reports, documentaries, newspaper articles, internet sources etc. We encourage students to use a wide range of diverse information sources, which should, however, be clearly traceable (please give the full and complete source in the reference). When discussing the central question, students might also want to explore possible differences between MNCs and GVCs and reflect why some problems appear in one MNC/GVC and not the other one. When writing the essay, students are asked to make use of at least 8 of the course core readings and at least 3 additional readings.

Here are the obligatory readings. You have to use information at least from 8 of them.

• Basic reading for the course (before start session in week 16)

1. Gereffi, G., Humphrey, J., & Sturgeon, T. (2005). The governance of global value chains. Review of international political economy, 12(1), 78-104.
2. Vurro C, Russo A, Perrini F. (2009). Shaping Sustainable Value Chains: Network Determinants of Supply Chain Governance Models. Journal of Business Ethics, The Impact of Network Ethics on Business Practices, Vol, No 90, 607-621.

• Global Value Chains & Regional Development (before plenary session week 17)

3. Karnani, A. (2008). Help, don’t romanticize the poor. Journal compilation, summer. London Business School.
4. Payaud, M. A. (2014). Marketing strategies at the bottom of the pyramid: examples from Nestlé, Danone, and Proctor & Gamble. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. January/February 2014.
5. Pennink, B. (2014). Dimensions of local economic development: towards a multi-level, multi actor model. Journal of Business and Economics, 5, 249 – 256.
6. Pike, A., Rodríguez-Pose, A., Tomaney, J. (2007). What kind of local and regional development and for whom? Regional Studies, 41, 1253 – 1269.
7. Trienekens, J. H. (2011). Agricultural value chains in developing countries – a framework for analysis. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 14(2), 51 – 82.

• Extending CSR to Supply Chains: Codes of Conducts and Value Chain Governance (before plenary session week 18)

8. Jiang, B. (2009). Implementing supplier codes of conduct in global supply chains: Process explanations from theoretic and empirical perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(1), 77-92.
9. Egels-Zandén, N. (2014). Revisiting supplier compliance with MNC codes of conduct: Recoupling policy and practice at Chinese toy suppliers. Journal of Business Ethics, 119(1), 59-75.
10. Frenkel, S. J. (2001). Globalization, athletic footwear commodity chains and employment relations in China. Organization Studies, 22(4), 531-562.
11. Merk, J. (2011). Production beyond the horizon of consumption: Spatial fixes and anti-sweatshop struggles in the global athletic footwear industry. Global Society, 25(1), 73-95.
12. Christmann, P., & Taylor, G. (2006). Firm self-regulation through international certifiable standards: Determinants of symbolic versus substantive implementation. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(6), 863-878.

• Firm-level factors of CSR: Social Impact Analysis as an managerial example (plenary session week 20)

3. Aguilera, R.V, Rupp, D.E, Williams, C.A, Ganapathi, J. (2007). Putting the S Back in Corporate Social Responsibility: A multilevel Theory of Social Change in Organizations. Academy of Management Review Vol, No. 32, 836-863.
4. Jamali, D. (2010). The CSR of MNC Subsidiaries in Developing Countries: Global, Local, Substantive or Diluted? Journal of Business Ethics, Supplement 2: New Perspectives on Business  Development, and Society Research, Vol, No. 93, 181-200.
5. Vanclay, F.(2003). International Principles For Social Impact Assessment, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal. Vol, No. 21, 5-12
6. Esteves, A.M, Vanclay, F. (2009). Social Development  Needs Analysis as a tool for SIA to guide corporate-community investment: Applications in the Minerals Industy. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 29, 137-145.
7. Voort, van der, N, Vanclay, F. (2015). Social impacts of earthquakes caused by gas extraction in the Province of Groningen, The Netherlands. Environmental Impact Assessment Review Vol, No 50, 1-15.