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グローバル生産ネットワークにおける収益慣行の改善に向けた持続可能性プログラムの実施：バングラデシュの視点

Author(s)MD. SULTAN, MAHMOODCitation
Issue Date2022-03

TypeThesis or Dissertation

Text version

ETDURLhttp://hdl.handle.net/10119/17785

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Supervisor:永井由佳里

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Implementing Sustainability Programs toward improving bottom-line practices in the
Global Garment Sector: Bangladesh perspective
Md Sultan Mahmood
Abstract
Background of the study Sustainability is a long-debated issue, and there is no universal
approach to implement sustainability programs for all organizations. The broad aim of thisstudy is to explore the implementation of sustainability programs (SP) by the lead suppliers
improving all bottom lines performances of the labor-intensive global garment sector. The
purpose is reached through three research queries. First, what does sustainability mean to thegarment suppliers, and how important is sustainability program to consider in the current
business practices? Second, what are the key performance indicators to implement
sustainability programs by garment suppliers? Furthermore third, how do the workplacecompliance pressures mediate to improve suppliers' sustainability programs?
Materials and Method We designed an exploratory case study with multiple cases fromthe Bangladesh garment sector. The study chose the Bangladeshi garment industry as thestudy context due to the increased pressures for social and environmental compliances afterseveral workplace occurrences. We selected only three case companies after considering theresearch aim, data collection protocols, and accessibility to the study setting. The study
employed multi-methods of interviews, observations, and document reviews for datacollection from the three Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers. We selected the twenty-two
respondents through non-probability sampling for interview data collection. The researcher
analyzed all interview data through the thematic content analysis technique.
Study Results and discussions The study uncovered three key findings. First, the casecompanies considered sustainability programs as standardized practices or corporate
business policies overcoming the internal and external challenges. These challenges
appeared after the stakeholders' pressures since the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. The internalchallenges concerning organizational operational and external forces led case firms to adopt
regulatory safety compliance initiatives immediately after the 2013 factory collapse. Second,case firms developed five bottom lines (FBL) capabilities by focusing on the workplace,environmental, social, economic, and governance dimensions. These capabilities help firms
tackle organizational and operational challenges facing day-to-day business activities. Theydeveloped almost twenty-three key performance indicators (KPIs) under the FBL
capabilities. Although there were many differences among the KPIs, they set them as visible
measures to scale their SPs. Third, workplace compliance was underpinned as the initialeffort that mediated the SPs through several phases. They addressed factories' safety issues
and set initiatives to remediate them. Second, they extended the programs that contribute tosocietal and environmental practices, and finally, they combined SPs to continue the changes
for creating new business scopes.
To firm A, workplace safety, occupational health, and cleaner production assessment are
the three key initiatives to embrace sustainability practices. These initiatives became very

2 of 3visible and measurable toward improving bottom-line performance. On the other hand, firm
B emphasized transforming human capital through ensuring workers' human rights, labor
codes practices, empowerment, skilled training, and other volunteering activities alongside
workplace safety and occupational health. However, this firm also addressed the ecologicalimpacts, process wastes, and resources barriers to expedite environmental assessment, offset
the carbon emissions, and develop resource management. However, case firm C is morestructured in sustainability orientation than the other two firms. They adopted legalcompliance, ethical business practices, and environmental footprint management toward
their sustainability journey. The global business norms such as United Nation Global
Compact (UNGP) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) are two parameters to set theirstandards in the bottom-line performances. The top management considers employees'
health, workplace safety, empowerment, social sponsorships, decarbonization, green
infrastructure, etc., as strategic initiatives to lead garment export business in the competitiveedge.
All three firms differentiated among them, deeming their corporate strategies,
policy-making, and KPIs practices. Their corporate statement showed how to embody
sustainability through their business activities. Each firm set a vision to be the mostregarded company by offering quality products and the best manufacturing services withless social and environmental costs. The study results revealed that the corporate leaders of
all three firms learned triple-bottom-line issues from many national regulations
international and global management standards. They combined their knowledge with theirinternal organizations and converted these into policies and action plans to implement
sustainability programs. The study argued that the garment suppliers' sustainability
programs should be considered five bottom lines instead of three bottom lines.
Theoretical and practical contributions The study serves two significant purposes, bothin academic and practical fields. It also offers several directions and indicators toward
improving sustainability practices from five areas.
The study argued that the case firms of the global garment sector integrated knowledge
management alongside institutional, resource-based, and stakeholder approaches to create
core values, corporate policies, and business practices toward sustainability programs. The
study found that the firms accepted global climate issues and societal impacts as core torethink with the business activities. Therefore, they combined those concerns with corebusiness activities to set the sustainability programs in operational and organizationalpractices. The corporate team of all three companies socializes with different knowledge
partners, auditors, and international organizations to understand business norms andstandards toward sustainability practices. The management employees became more scope toreceive outside knowledge on implementing policies, standards, and indices over safe,healthy, and green work environment toward sustainability programs.
The study results have a high impact considering practical implications. The study
identified a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) with hundreds of the above measures.
These indicators help the small and medium garment suppliers incorporate the SP in theiroperating model. The managers of direct garment exporters in the GGS can use the specific3 of 3measures to scale their facilities' performance concerning bottom lines. Again, themanufacturers who fell in the indirect sourcing model also use the KPIs of this study topromote sustainability practices within their facilities. To implement SP, the Bangladesh
garment sector needs to carefully align its economic contributions with its long-term
workplace safety, social security, environmental accountability, and corporate governance.
In this light, the study results provide the hundreds above practical measures undertwenty-third KPIs for enhancing the five bottom lines practices of the garment suppliers.
Originality of this study The study identified the garment suppliers' sustainability
program (SSP) through a case study research strategy to promote the bottom-line practices in
the GGS context. Many business frameworks have been illustrated in the prior literature thatis overgeneralized, including macro views, and challenging to translate into practice garment
sector context. Therefore, the context-specific framework on SSP became craving need to beexplored. This study aimed to explore such framework from lead suppliers' sustainability
practice for the whole garment sector on implementing sustainability practices in thecomplex production network. The study, thus, designed a framework that three factors:
independent factors (barriers), motivating factors (drivers), and dependent variables such as
KPIs from three case firms toward sustainable business practices.
Limitation and future study The main limitation of this study is to exclude the indirect
garment exporters. Due to access limitations, reluctance to share information, and lack ofbusiness data, this study did not consider the subcontractor or informal garment sector.
However, these limitations invite future studies on greater context, including direct andindirect suppliers in a global production network. Future investigations can also seek therelationship between materiality issues and business performances, excluded here. How
much impact on productivity and worker efficiencies after implementing sustainability
issues may offer an exciting insight for future research?
Keywords: Sustainable development, readymade garment, Textile and Apparel Industry,Workplace Safety, Social Compliance, Ethical Trading, Environmental, Social andGovernance, Ecological Footprint.