Improving Business Practices And Ethical Consumerism In The Garment Industry

Task 1: Discussing ways to prevent recurrence of disasters in the garment industry

Assignment Task

On April 24 2013, 1134 people were killed and 2,500 were injured when the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh collapsed on top of garment workers inside its factories. It would be known as the worst accident in the garment industry anywhere.

This happened only five months after a horrific fire at a similar facility prompted leading multinational brands to pledge to work to improve safety in the country’s booming but poorly regulated garment industry.

Labour groups, Western clothing companies, the Bangladeshi government and others have made some progress toward preventing similar tragedies, but more still needs to be done.

There was never any doubt that improving working conditions in Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest countries, would be incredibly difficult. The collapse of Rana Plaza was just one, though by far the worst in a series of industrial accidents in Bangladesh’s garment industry, which has become one of the biggest exporters of clothes to the United States and Europe because of its low wages.

It was later discovered that 28 brands that sourced clothes from the plaza included Primark, Bennetton, Mango, Matalan and Bonmache, prompting public concern about the working conditions of garment factories around the world which contribute to western high street fashion stores.

Ethical consumerism encourages people to think about how the products they buy are sourced and produced which are not harmful to the environment and society. This can be evidenced through simply purchasing eggs that are free-range or boycotting goods/companies which promote child labour or unsavoury working conditions.

Ethical consumerism is a growing market. A recent report from the Co-operative Bank showed a third of UK consumers claiming to be concerned about ethical consumption, with a large number of the public willing to challenge and boycott companies which do not comply with ethical standards.

You are required to write an analytical business report that covers the following tasks:

Task 1

Discuss the ways in which companies, like the ones mentioned in the extract above, that sourced clothes from the Rana Plaza can help improve business practices to prevent recurrence of events of this nature.

Task 2

Choose any company, research and evidence how they operate ethically, taking into account their approach to consumerism, values and environmental friendliness.

About the report:

The report has analyzed a firm named Rana Plaza. This was a company within the textile industry which was situated in Bangladesh. The first part of the paper attempts to discuss all about the firms which has sourced otherwise are at present sourcing from the firm named Rana plaza (Carmody, n.d.). This section even has attempted to hunt for path via which they also can help their own selves to enhance and grow their business practices and at the same time prevent or otherwise avoid the occurrence of any such problem further which actually spoiled Rana Plaza. The paper has even evaluated every ethical element involved in the company plus has also indulged all the actions regarding the companies need as well as requirement intended towards undertaking a very smooth survival. Analysis as well as evaluation of such ethical and communal as well as social problems plus issues would positively ensure that firms appropriately understand along with knowing everything that actually went inaccurate in the Rana Plaza plus even thinks to efficiently maintain their image and thereby keep themselves away from any such analogous incident otherwise activity that can by any means affect others in similar way (Pramanik, Hossain and Azad, 2015). In next part the firm named Vodafone has been taken into account and all activities of the firm regarding basic ethical worries such as CSR and consumerism, plus environmental friendliness as well as beliefs & values have been suitably considered because all such activities might absolutely push any firm’s goals plus aims for coming future and also in the long run.

Task 2: Case Study of Vodafone's Ethical Operations

The vital disaster took place in a garment factory called Rana Plaza which is situated in the Bangladesh. While the accident took place eight storied construction that also included six factories simply collapsed and then fell down like a house of cards. Such incident killed about 1,134 labors. Also this incident even had set a worry on health & safety issues in the textile industry. The incident even forced ever Garment Company to think each and every fact about its morals as well as ethics that they carry as well as things that they literally lack regarding staff’s safety and security (Hossain et al., 2013). Also the firms were forced to think upon their own ethics and morale and find whether the rule and regulations are being actually followed or not. As a result, the media, government and also consumers plus even the stakeholders held all the clothing firms responsible for health & flouting within their supply chains.

As all the shareholders of the textile segment as well as clothing firms are wide open to factors of all financial as well as reputational danger plus risks and even fear which comes from cases and incidents which are fond of to dangerous working circumstances at the company’s factory sites that is intended basically for the task of production (Boylan, 2001). Therefore, investors nowadays need to perform a remarkable wager in the heartening firms to appropriately execute proper health & safety actions plus thereby practice and activities all via their self as well as suppliers’ operations. Many factors in reality share the liability as well as burden of disaster which was pragmatic in the Rana Plaza. At the outset, Bangladesh which is also seen as a state that carries very shabby governance and also faces several structural issues such as lack of some indisputable rule and even regulation of the legislation and law, insufficient along with scarce assessment plus the evaluation processes, and also generally some extra infertile admittance towards the justice intended for the victims of the work-attached incidents. The firm can try to pursue few easy steps and then attain total safety & security as well as even can be capable of avoiding all such cases in future. These steps are:

• Because there is seen a very weak governance within Bangladesh firms can stand by few rules and regulations of license in addition to the insurances for all its staffs and even stakeholders
  
  
• The firms must even have a very good scheme towards tasks plus works that are performed inside the firm premises (Gavai, 2010)
  
  
• The firms also must lay down few rules and regulations for itself and then try to stand by every rule and even make its employees hound the same.
  
  
• All such firms also must also attempt to fittingly indulge a suitable assessment in addition to the evaluation process where a very sensible assessment of the building plus premises and also of equipments & tools that are used within sites would be undertaken.
  
  
• The firms also must be additionally ethical regarding supplying the security & safety to staffs and must supply all the staffs with excellent justice & equality (Moon, 2001).

• Such companies can try to sign the agreements upon the safety of the building as well as the staff’s security in firm within the factories in Bangladesh. Such accords might also allow the staffs to properly break off all of their tasks if via any source they sense that their safety otherwise security is beneath danger or is being hurt.
  
  
• Textile industry otherwise sector has not forgotten Rana Plaza case. It is also indeed vital to frequently ask questions plus seek out the brands as well as firms that also are enthusiastically tiresome to grow and develop their worker conditions (Hendry, 2004).

Conclusion:

The main responsibility for this incident in Rana Plaza was said to be on the Bangladeshi government as well as authorities because they factually failed in appropriately fulfilling their tasks as well as duties over and above compulsions towards protecting workers and even making them correctly aware of the incidents in addition to all the risks and also activities towards actually shielding lives right from all the similar risks. State of Bangladesh, must also try to save and secure plus even protect people’s rights within authority because they even were seen to be ineffective in all of their accountability that was regarding the granting of all the rights as well as safety to the textile industry employees.

Introduction:

Vodafone Group Plc. Actually is amongst world's principal mobile telecommunications firms. As per to MINTEL report in the year 2010, it is biggest telecommunication network within the globe and is based upon revenue that is market value of about 72 billion. The firm is a UK based one and was founded in the year 1985. Except UK it has very significant occurrence in the US, Europe and also in Asia-Pacific areas via its direct investments and subsidiary undertakings, plus joint ventures as well as associates. In such regions it also functions in about 31 nations along with the future partner networking within 40 additional nations. Being multinational group the firm is occupied in supplying the services of mobile telecommunications and goods, including the voice services, data services, video messaging and text messaging as well as fixed services for broadband.

Conclusion

Method used here for data collection was secondary data collection method. Information plus data here were assembled from numerous secondary resources like from the magazines, website of the firm, journals, and even books.

Consumerism- Being into mobile telecommunications business, Vodafone has always been responsible for supplying exceptional products as well as services for all its consumers. It also has to take in to account the way in which it needs to carry out all its operations for building proper trust in the minds of its customers, employees as well as some other stakeholders. Vodafone aims to perform very responsibly in each and everything that it does (Sternberg, 2000). Right from being a very good citizen within communities where the firm operates, as well as ensuring that it attains best staffs through providing best working ecology. Its also has a main objective to be very responsible firm. It's not merely about earning profit but even is related to to minimization of negative, and maximization of the positive effects. Vodafone operates in the society very ethically can takes full care of all its consumers and also staffs. It tends to supply all its benefits to the stakeholders and thereby is at the top of the list of ethical firms. The firm’s CSR has always been a framework that is utilized to measure Vodafone's actual performance all against the social, economic as well as environmental parameters (Ang, n.d.). The firm undertakes many social and community wide practices and even helps the local area where it operates in all their day to day functions and also engages son of soils.  

Vodafone even is committed totally towards providing the consumers with a very secure and safe as well as reliable products plus services which would represent a very good value of the money for the users (Hummels and Timmer, 2004). The firm also tries to understand as well as respond to all the needs of the customers and to supply them with all novel and innovative products as well as services. This firm is even bound by the law towards protecting its staffs and also its customers’ interest plus safeguards all the provided data by the customers.

Values - The firm has also set higher standards of the corporate governance that are very critical in upholding all the stakeholders' trust as well as integrity within the business. Vodafone actually expects all its staffs to act along with integrity, whole honesty plus fairness. It continually strives to perform according to the laws as well as customs of nations where it has its operations. It even adopts suitable standards of the business practice, and also operates with total integrity plus observes culture of each and every nation with due respect (Brand champion (Vodafone strategy), 2007). The firm’s business principles also define the way in which the firm intends to perform the business and then engage with all its stakeholders. Such principles also cover all the ethical issues counting: zero tolerance towards bribery as well as corruption, total data protection, safety & health as well as security issues, conflicts plus interest, ecological protection, transparency & political contributions as well as lobbying (Mele, 2001).

Environmental Friendliness- Vodafone's environment procedure and policy actually commits it towards improving and enhancing the energy efficiency, and also reducing waste as well as increasing reuse plus recycling. The firm is even committed towards sustainable trade practices as well as policies regarding the protection of the environment. It also works with proper environmental organizations towards reducing the carbon footprints (Curwen, 2010). The firm promotes use of good operational practices which would later reduce environmental burden related to company's functions. The firm supports all innovative developments within the products as well as services which can also offer environmental as well as social benefits. Vodafone is worried about environment and impact of the change in the climate. It also provides goods that can support and help customers to reduce carbon emission (Caulfield and Gold, 2000). The firm takes responsibility intended for self environmental affect. It even hunts looks for several ways towards cutting the energy usage (Thomas, 2008). The firm is even working towards recycling and reutilization of the old phones plus network tolls and equipment, beside cutting back upon the paper. The firm also follows the Waste Electrical plus Electronic Equipment (WEEE) rule regarding the discharge and recycling of its tools and equipment. Also green purchasing even is encouraged as well as suppliers are also asked to supply goods with a condensed environmental affect (KING, 1984).

The firm is needed to disclose statements related to compliance with provision of amended combined code upon the corporate governance

• Vodafone still needs to understand the law and regulation in several nation and thereby act accordingly in those countries
  
  
• CSR within Vodafone has yet vast space for development and the firm can aim towards improvement within this path
  
  
• The firm can promote itself to greater extent and make people aware about several ecological steps they are taking towards being ethical and environmentally concerned about the society and the people within.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell Vodafone is a firm that performs ethically to wider extent yet there are rooms left for improvement of the firm in this filed. Keeping in mind several ethical aspects the firm can still try to improve more with each passing day and thereby enhance its presence in the world.

References

Ang, R. (n.d.). Vodafone Global Telecommunications: Optimizing Operations. SSRN Journal.

Boylan, M. (2001). Business ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Brand champion (Vodafone strategy). (2007). Strategic Direction, 23(2).

Carmody, C. (n.d.). The Shirts on Our Backs: The Rana Plaza Disaster, Interdependence, and the Shifting Locus of Responsibility. SSRN Journal.

Caulfield, T. and Gold, E. (2000). Genetic testing, ethical concerns, and the role of patent law. Clinical Genetics, 57(5), pp.370-375.

Curwen, P. (2010). Empire building in the dock: the case of Vodafone. INFO, 12(4).

Gavai, A. (2010). Business ethics. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House.

Hendry, J. (2004). Between enterprise and ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hossain, M., Nahar, N., Nayan, M., Jahan Ema, A. and Arafat Alve, M. (2013). Experience of Bangladeshi occupational therapists with “Rana Plaza Tragedyâ€Ã‚ survivors: recovery and rehabilitation phases of disaster management. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 68(1), pp.14-19.

Hummels, H. and Timmer, D. (2004). Investors in Need of Social, Ethical, and Environmental Information. Journal of Business Ethics, 52(1), pp.73-84.

KING, L. (1984). ETHICAL CONCERNS. Nursing, 14(10), p.5.

Mele, D. (2001). Loyalty in Business: Subversive Doctrine or Real Need?. Business Ethics Quarterly, 11(1), p.11.

Moon, C. (2001). Business ethics. London: Economist.

Pramanik, M., Hossain, M. and Azad, M. (2015). Management of mass casualty in Rana Plaza tragedy, the worst industrial disaster in Bangladesh. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh, 9(2).

Sternberg, E. (2000). Just business. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Thomas, A. (2008). Vodafone recognizes its Legends. Strategic HR Review, 7(3).