Social upgrading in the Bangladeshi garment sector since Rana Plaza: why some governance matters more than others

Lohmeyer, Nora, Schüßler, Elke and Kabeer, Naila ORCID: 0000-0001-7769-9540 (2022) Social upgrading in the Bangladeshi garment sector since Rana Plaza: why some governance matters more than others. In: Economic and Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains: Comparative Analyses, Macroeconomic Effects, the Role of Institutions and Strategies for the Global South. Springer International (Firm), pp. 385-411. ISBN 9783030873196

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Abstract

Recent research has highlighted several pathways to social upgrading in global supply chains. We take a closer look at recent developments with regard to these pathways in the Bangladeshi garment industry. Focusing on the variety of potential paths allows us to take the initiatives of different actors as well as their interplay into account. Building on our own empirical research as well as other recent studies, we show that—especially since the Rana Plaza factory collapse—improvements can be observed with regard to outcome standards (e.g., working hours, building safety, etc.) but are still lacking in other areas, including important process rights. In analyzing these developments, we show that a hierarchy exists between different paths that have contributed to these improvements. While several paths to social upgrading have been activated since Rana Plaza, the extent to which this is the case differs. Critically, in Bangladesh, those paths that matter the most for the overall governance arrangement remain the least activated. We argue that the identified hierarchy, therefore, limits possibilities for more comprehensive and sustainable social upgrading. We conclude by formulating policy recommendations to support upgrading in the Bangladeshi garment industry.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences
Date Deposited:	17 Sep 2024 09:30
Last Modified:	24 Sep 2024 16:03
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/125423

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