Abstract
This article questions retailers’ role as buyers driving production. Exploring a network involving Indian suppliers of UK retailers’ cotton garments, limitations preventing coercive buyer power from controlling production practices are identified. Overall, the dominant system of large-scale fragmented supplier networks connecting raw materials to final products accommodates commercially viable practices causing social or environmental challenges. While some pressures effectively span complex networks, buyers’ practice-related demands do not. Dissecting the ‘drivenness’ concept, this study shows multipolar governance within an industry often considered buyer-driven. Also, it furthers critiques of private governance’s effectiveness, indicating the need for alternative governance frameworks or network structures.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Economic Geography |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 801-828 |
Number of pages | 28 |
ISSN | 1468-2702 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Published online: 23 October 2021.Keywords
- Global production networks
- Sustainability
- Governance
- Corporate social responsibility