IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v184y2023i1d10.1007_s10551-022-05177-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dissensus and Deadlock in the Evolution of Labour Governance: Global Supply Chains and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Author

Listed:
  • Huw Thomas

    (University College Dublin)

  • Mark Anner

    (Penn State University)

Abstract

Global supply chains (GSCs) present the International Labour Organization (ILO) with a challenge that goes to the heart of its founding mandate and structure, one built on the prominence of nation states and national representatives of employers and workers. In February 2020, discussions in the ILO on the rise of GSCs reached deadlock. To fully understand why the ILO has been unable to address decent work deficits in GSCs greater attention needs to be paid to contestation, power and legitimacy in the deliberation of labour governance. Drawing on the concept of agonistic pluralism we examine the evolution of the ILO’s attempt to establish a new labour standard on GSCs under three empirical phases between 2002 and 2020. We argue that shifting power asymmetries between the tripartite constituents of governments, employers and workers, increased counter-hegemonic contestation, and intensified questioning of the deliberative legitimacy of the adversaries, explain the dissensual relations at the ILO. This article contributes to the literature on labour standards in GSCs in demonstrating how and why contestation underpins the evolution of labour governance over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Huw Thomas & Mark Anner, 2023. "Dissensus and Deadlock in the Evolution of Labour Governance: Global Supply Chains and the International Labour Organization (ILO)," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(1), pages 33-49, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:184:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05177-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-022-05177-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-022-05177-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-022-05177-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. de Bakker, Frank G.A. & Rasche, Andreas & Ponte, Stefano, 2019. "Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives on Sustainability: A Cross-Disciplinary Review and Research Agenda for Business Ethics," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 343-383, July.
    2. Mark ANNER, 2021. "Three labour governance mechanisms for addressing decent work deficits in global value chains," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 611-629, December.
    3. Dawkins, Cedric, 2015. "Agonistic Pluralism and Stakeholder Engagement," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(1), pages 1-28, January.
    4. Cox, Robert W., 1977. "Labor and hegemony," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(3), pages 385-424, January.
    5. David Levy & Juliane Reinecke & Stephan Manning, 2016. "The Political Dynamics of Sustainable Coffee: Contested Value Regimes and the Transformation of Sustainability," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 364-401, May.
    6. Mark Anner, 2020. "Squeezing workers’ rights in global supply chains: purchasing practices in the Bangladesh garment export sector in comparative perspective," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 320-347, March.
    7. Stephen J. FRENKEL & Elke S. SCHUESSLER, 2021. "From Rana Plaza to COVID‐19: Deficiencies and opportunities for a new labour governance system in garment global supply chains," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 591-609, December.
    8. Cedric E. Dawkins, 2021. "An Agonistic Notion of Political CSR: Melding Activism and Deliberation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 5-19, April.
    9. Jennifer Bair & Florence Palpacuer, 2015. "CSR beyond the corporation: contested governance in global value chains," Post-Print hal-02009049, HAL.
    10. Arenas, Daniel & Albareda, Laura & Goodman, Jennifer, 2020. "Contestation in Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: Enhancing the Democratic Quality of Transnational Governance," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(2), pages 169-199, April.
    11. Tim Bartley, 2022. "Power and the Practice of Transnational Private Regulation," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 188-202, March.
    12. Janice R. BELLACE, 2014. "The ILO and the right to strike," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 153(1), pages 29-70, March.
    13. Matthew Alford & Nicola Phillips, 2018. "The political economy of state governance in global production networks: change, crisis and contestation in the South African fruit sector," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 98-121, January.
    14. Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Political CSR at the Coalface – The Roles and Contradictions of Multinational Corporations in Developing Workplace Dialogue," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 457-486, March.
    15. Nigel Haworth & Stephen Hughes, 2003. "International Political Economy and Industrial Relations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 41(4), pages 665-682, December.
    16. Martin Fougère & Nikodemus Solitander, 2020. "Dissent in Consensusland: An Agonistic Problematization of Multi-stakeholder Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 683-699, July.
    17. Sandra Moog & André Spicer & Steffen Böhm, 2015. "The Politics of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: The Crisis of the Forest Stewardship Council," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 469-493, May.
    18. Soundararajan, Vivek & Brown, Jill A. & Wicks, Andrew C., 2019. "Can Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Improve Global Supply Chains? Improving Deliberative Capacity with a Stakeholder Orientation," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 385-412, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julia Grimm & Rebecca C. Ruehle & Juliane Reinecke, 2024. "Building Common Ground: How Facilitators Bridge Between Diverging Groups in Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(3), pages 583-608, October.
    2. Norma Schönherr, 2022. "Same Same but Different? A Quantitative Exploration of Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    3. Manon Eikelenboom & Thomas B. Long, 2023. "Breaking the Cycle of Marginalization: How to Involve Local Communities in Multi-stakeholder Initiatives?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 31-62, August.
    4. Cedric E. Dawkins, 2021. "An Agonistic Notion of Political CSR: Melding Activism and Deliberation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 5-19, April.
    5. Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee, 2022. "Decolonizing Deliberative Democracy: Perspectives from Below," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(2), pages 283-299, November.
    6. Simona Fiandrino & Francesco Scarpa & Riccardo Torelli, 2022. "Fostering Social Impact Through Corporate Implementation of the SDGs: Transformative Mechanisms Towards Interconnectedness and Inclusiveness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(4), pages 959-973, November.
    7. Stefano Ponte & Valentina De Marchi & Marco Bettiol & Eleonora di Maria, 2023. "The horizontal governance of environmental upgrading: Lessons from the Prosecco and Valpolicella wine value chains in Italy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 1884-1905, November.
    8. Martin Fougère & Nikodemus Solitander, 2020. "Dissent in Consensusland: An Agonistic Problematization of Multi-stakeholder Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 683-699, July.
    9. Kelly Gerard, 2023. "Doing aid chains differently: Evaluating the potential of Multi‐Stakeholder Partnerships," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(1), January.
    10. Richard W. Carney & Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & Jane W. Lu & He Wang, 2022. "Political corporate social responsibility: The role of deliberative capacity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(8), pages 1766-1784, October.
    11. Verena Bitzer & Alessia Marazzi, 2021. "Southern sustainability initiatives in agricultural value chains: a question of enhanced inclusiveness? The case of Trustea in India," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(2), pages 381-395, June.
    12. Izabela Delabre & Joss Lyons‐White & Clara Melot & Eirik Ingwardo Veggeberg & Anthony Alexander & Martin C. Schleper & Robert M. Ewers & Andrew T. Knight, 2023. "Should I stay or should I go? Understanding stakeholder dis/engagement for deforestation‐free palm oil," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5128-5145, December.
    13. Rajiv Maher, 2022. "Deliberating or Stalling for Justice? Dynamics of Corporate Remediation and Victim Resistance Through the Lens of Parentalism: The Fundão dam Collapse and the Renova Foundation in Brazil," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 15-36, June.
    14. Tricia D. Olsen & Harry J. Van Buren, 2024. "Agonistic Respect and the Ethics of Employment Relationships," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 193(2), pages 271-284, August.
    15. McWilliam, Sarah E. & Kim, Jung Kwan & Mudambi, Ram & Nielsen, Bo Bernhard, 2020. "Global value chain governance: Intersections with international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    16. James HARRISON & Margarita PAREJO & Mark WIELGA, 2024. "The value of complaints mechanisms in the private labour regulation of GVCs: A case study of the Fair Labor Association," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 163(1), pages 73-94, March.
    17. Johanna Järvelä, 2023. "The Mine or the Mire? Mobilising Place in Natural Resource Struggles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 237-254, October.
    18. Özgü Karakulak & Lea Stadtler, 2022. "Working with Complexity in the Context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of Global Health Partnerships," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(4), pages 997-1018, November.
    19. Hee-Chan Song, 2024. "The war on drugs: how multi-stakeholder partnerships contribute to sustainable development in the Golden Triangle region," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(5), pages 593-615, July.
    20. Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes & Steffen Böhm, 2023. "The Political Ontology of Corporate Social Responsibility: Obscuring the Pluriverse in Place," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(2), pages 245-261, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:184:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05177-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.