Human Rights in Global Supply ChainsCornell Certificate Program

More than likely, the garments you are wearing were manufactured by workers in the Asia-Pacific or Latin American regions — especially if you are wearing “fast fashion.” You might reasonably assume that the worker who sewed your shirt is paid fairly, can take a bathroom break when needed, and is not a child; in other words, a European or American style of labor relations. Yet labor laws vary from one country to the next. This course is designed to give you an overview of global labor relations regulations.

You will analyze the model used in your own country and compare it with a country in which your firm does business. You’ll examine how trade agreements impact workers and explore the influence of regionalized initiatives such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Many organizations have established a code of conduct — a kind of self-regulation that clarifies how workers will be treated — and these codes often extend to the rest of the supply chain. But how can you ensure that your purchasing team and your suppliers are in compliance?

In this course, you will examine methods for verifying that regulations are followed accurately and consistently. You’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of auditing as well as how to look for and address violations. Whether you reward suppliers for being in compliance or punish them if they are out of compliance — or both — you’ll consider the difficulties of assessing the supply chain and determine how to make appropriate decisions that support your organization’s code of conduct.

A firm may state goals and values for global labor practices but might not actually meet them in practice; this gap between formal policies and actual practices is known as organizational decoupling. In this course, you will examine ways to overcome decoupling.

You will discover which data can provide accurate measures of policies and practices then identify data sources for your own firm. You’ll understand the responsibilities of and barriers to transparency in multi-stakeholder institutions. Finally, you’ll analyze what is within your locus of control to improve transparency as well as how your organization might be contributing to labor violations.