Social Sustainability: Regulation and Practice for Multinational Companies in Developing Countries

This presentation discusses the importance of social sustainability for multinational companies in developing countries. It covers topics such as child labor, gender equality, and indigenous people's approach. The presentation also includes an evaluation of sources using the CRAP method.

Social Sustainability
Regulation And Practice
Name
Institution
Tutor

Introduction
• Social sustainability is a framework employed in organizations to
promote the wellbeing of their members’ while ensuring there is a
maintenance of a healthy community (Gal, Akisik, & Wooldridge, 2018).
• An organization that aims to achieve social sustainability has an
advantage of;
 Unlocking new markets
 Innovating new service lines or products
 Retaining and attracting new business partners
 Improving employee engagement, internal morale, and productivity
(Saeidi et al., 2015), and
Enhancing the company-community conflict resolutions.

The social responsibility regulation and practice based on the case
study, ‘Third-world families at work: Child labor or child care?’
• Understanding social responsibility regulation and practice is key to the success of a
multinational company in the developing countries (Köksal, Strähle, & Müller, 2018)
• From the case study, various aspects of the social dimension of corporate sustainability
can be enumerated.
 Child labor
• Most of the manufacturing companies in developed countries prohibit the use of child
labor and encourages employee empowerment and diversity (David, Katz, & Kearney,
2006).
• However, in most of the developing countries, child labor, poor nutrition, and exploitation
of the workers is common.
• Therefore, they need to ensure that all the practices carried by the company are in
accordance with their ethical standards
• This was the problem encountered by Jonathan Stein of Timothy & Thomas company in
the Lahore plant in Pakistan (Nichols, 1993).

 Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• In Pakistan, women are not respected, and the job opportunities
differ with men given the highest priority. The same case is seen in
the education sector.
• Many developing countries have discriminatory laws against women
and children (Kabeer, 2005). Abolishment of these laws will translate
to economic development.
• The companies from developed countries need to interact with the
local, federal, and national governments and understand their legal
policies and regulation surrounding the manufacturing industries

 Approach to indigenous
people those living with
disabilities
• Developing countries do not have appropriate regulations protecting
their workers especially from the marginalized and vulnerable groups
such as the indigenous communities, slum and rural dwellers,
migrants, and those with disabilities (Marumoagae, 2012).
• Various associations in the US and other developed countries prohibit
the use of inappropriate sourcing policies
• Therefore, investing in reforming these discriminatory laws, policies,
and practices will lead to poverty reduction and overall economic
growth (Kolk, 2016).

Sources evaluation using CRAP
method• Evaluation of the credibility of sources used in obtaining the
information is crucial.
• The CRAP method looks at the Currency, Reliability, Authority, and
Purpose.
• Gal, Akisik, & Wooldridge, 2018, for instance, is a book that analyses
the current issues surrounding the corporate social sustainability and
responsibility. The authors uses various references to explore this
issue in depth in unbiased manner.
• Köksal, Strähle, & Müller, 2018 as well uses current information to
bring forth reliable findings concerning sourcing intermediary for
suppliers in the developing countries.

Sources evaluation using CRAP
method
• All the sources used in this study, involved up-to-date information
regarding the issues surrounding the topic of social sustainability
• The information is trustworthy and reliable given that they involve
data from several sources that are cited appropriately
• The authors as well are people with diverse knowledge concerning
the topic and have written several other articles
• The information is unbiased to the best of my understanding.

References
• David, H., Katz, L. F., & Kearney, M. S. (2006). The polarization of the US labor market. American
economic review, 96(2), 189-194.
• Gal, G., Akisik, O., & Wooldridge, W. (Eds.). (2018). Sustainability and Social Responsibility:
Regulation and Reporting. Springer Singapore.
• Kabeer, N. (2005). Gender equality and women's empowerment: A critical analysis of the third
millennium development goal 1. Gender & Development, 13(1), 13-24.
• Köksal, D., Strähle, J., & Müller, M. (2018). Social Sustainability in Apparel Supply Chains—The
Role of the Sourcing Intermediary in a Developing Country. Sustainability, 10(4), 1039.
• Kolk, A. (2016). The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the
environment to CSR and sustainable development. Journal of World Business, 51(1), 23-34.
• Marumoagae, M. C. (2012). Disability discrimination and the right of disabled persons to access
the labour market. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/Potchefstroomse Elektroniese
Regsblad, 15(1).
• Nichols, M. (1993). Third-World Families at Work: Child Labor or Child Care?. Harvard Business
Review, 71(1), 12.
• Saeidi, S. P., Sofian, S., Saeidi, P., Saeidi, S. P., & Saaeidi, S. A. (2015). How does corporate social
responsibility contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of competitive
advantage, reputation, and customer satisfaction. Journal of business research, 68(2), 341-350.