148133 Effect of corporate social responsibility program on conditions in footwear factories of a famous brand in China

Monday, November 5, 2007: 8:45 AM

Beth Rosenberg, ScD MPH , Dept. of Public Health and Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
In the 1990s, as a result of negative publicity about working conditions in factories in developing countries, many multi-national companies established corporate social responsibility programs. This researcher spent 2 weeks in China, interviewing an average of 12 workers and managers in each of 4 footwear factories of a famous brand, to evaluate the effect of the corporate social responsibility program. The state of working and living conditions, ranging from quite good to abysmal, as well as the benefits and limitations of this approach to ensuring decent conditions for workers, will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe living and working conditions in footwear factories in China 2. Analyze the benefits and limitations of corporate social responsibility programs to ensure decent conditions in a global context.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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