Case Study Analysis of Bala Sport: Human Rights, Globalisation, and Sourcing

Case Study Analysis
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Contents
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................1
Part 1 Block 6.......................................................................................................................................2
Should a company like Bala Sport consider the human rights of the workers making footballs?
Explain how two rights from the UN Declaration of Human Rights are relevant to Bala Sport...2
Using one of the two human rights you identified in Question 1 and one ethical theory from
Readings 49 to 52, explain why the workers making footballs have that particular human right.
...............................................................................................................................................................3
Part 1 Block 7.......................................................................................................................................4
Using information from the case and concepts from Reading 56, how and to what extent do you
think globalisation is affecting Bala Sport?.......................................................................................4
Using information from the case and concepts from Readings 58 and 61, what do you think are
the advantages and disadvantages of Bala Sport sourcing its footballs from suppliers in Sialkot?
...............................................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................6
References............................................................................................................................................7
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Introduction
When companies go overseas, they often involve different kinds of working conditions in
their units of business and operations. The company has a huge responsibility of keeping in
mind factors like safe and healthy working conditions, both domestically and internationally.
When the working conditions compromise the business context, not only do the company
prospects get affected but also the political, economic, socio-cultural, legal and
environmental settings get highly disturbed. The companies, in most of the cases, get away
with work related issues. They try to avoid the accountability for whatever that happens in the
places of work, such as supply chains factories. Global supply chains provide functions for
companies regularly with rules and regulations. In today’s context, many organisations are
trying to maintain corporate responsibility by initiating codes of conduct, proper working
conditions, ethics and principles and legalities of the country of the workplace. (Zajda, and
Ozdowski, 2017)
In developing world, multinational companies look for opportunities and needs for
manufacture. They are expected to maintain a balance between ethical sourcing and business
objectives. Corporate programmes are expected to focus on reducing the worker related
issues and tensions.
For this assignment, the case study of Bala Sport, a Fairtrade Sports balls company, will be
focused on. The products, the balls, carry UK’s ethical certification called the Fairtrade Mark.
The company is a co-ordinated agency that concentrates on creating a worldwide access and
utilisation of the Fair Trade sports balls. One of the most focal points of the company’s
agenda is to create awareness about the role of the balls in the life of workers in Sialkot,
Pakistan, where hand stitched balls are made. When the balls are sold, the company aims to
ensure that fair amount of wages is paid to the workers who stitch the balls, and benefit form
fair working conditions as well. (Baxi 2017) The revenues earned from the sales are partly
used for social, economic and environment related developmental initiatives. As part of
corporate social responsibility, the Fairtrade Premium is used for project funding for various
campaigns and services for the developing world, especially for the factory workers in
Sialkot.
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