University of Stavanger - Norway - Increased social responsibility among businesses

As consumers we are constantly reminded of the possibility that everyday items like clothes, shoes, and wood products can be made under substandard working conditions in remote parts of the world. They may be produced by children or from material in the rain forests without our knowing it. From a consumer’s point of view it appears to be impossible to guard oneself against this situation.

A group of researchers at the University of Stavanger has for a year been trying to find out how social responsibility is being exercised in the textile industry and in the clothes business. The project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The first results from the investigation are now available. They show considerable confusion concerning the meaning of social responsibility and how the parties should meet the increasing demand for ethical behavior.

A long way to go
Few textile businesses seem to have made ethics and social responsibility into an integrated part of their operations. Only a minor part of the industry have entered social and environmental requirements into their contracts with producers.

Research fellow Bjørn-Tore Blindheim at UiS thinks there is a long way to go to implement systematic measures both at business level and in mandatory national and international regulations.

So far the investigation shows that leaders of small and medium clothes businesses mainly define social responsibility on the basis of the traditional roles of industry in society: to make a profit and thereby a platform for further opportunities and work places. Increased trade is also seen as the main long term incentive to improve the social and environmental problems among producers in developing countries, Blindheim says.

Business leaders in the clothes industry define child labor and environmental problems in the production chain as central challenges.

Lack of legislation
Blindheim says that the discussion around the social responsibility of industry is important for the situation in many developing countries.

Today there is almost no textile industry left in Norway. Most of it has moved to countries with greater social and environmental challenges than we have at home. Developing countries often lack laws and regulations that protect the workers’ rights and the environment. Even where legislation is good, it is not always followed up. Apart from the businesses there are few responsible actors,. Responsibility, however, is on the increase.

A complex and decentralized production chain with many suppliers makes it difficult to guarantee that production is carried out in a satisfactory manner.

Businesses can contribute
Many clothes businesses regard exercising responsibility as a difficult task. However, it is possible to implement certain measures. Norwegian businesses could be more conscious about where they place orders, demand requirements in connection with contracts and have a third party verify the producers’ adherence to international standards, Blindheim explains.

Some businesses are implementing systems for control and monitoring of producers and employ experts with social responsibility as their special field.

Since the 1990s NHO has been working with these challenges by developing information material and guidelines. The Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises (HSH) are raising the consciousness of their members about their social responsibility .

The Research Group
Several results from the research at UiS will be made available later this year and in 2008 when the project will be terminated.
The group is headed by professor Aslaug Mikkelsen and consists of professor Oluf Langhelle, research fellows Bjørn-Tore Blindheim and Thomas Laudal, researcher Atle Blomgren and the master students Olaug Øygarden and Ellen Teigen.

Text: Thomas Bore Olsen.
Photo: Elisabeth Tønnessen