COVID-19 and global clothing retailers' responsibility to vulnerable workers: NGO counter-rhetoric

TY - JOUR

T1 - COVID-19 and global clothing retailers' responsibility to vulnerable workers

T2 - NGO counter-rhetoric

AU - Ahmad, Nglaa

AU - Haque, Shamima

AU - Islam, Muhammad Azizul

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

PY - 2022/1/3

Y1 - 2022/1/3

N2 - Purpose: This article aims to examine how non-governmental organisations (NGOs)' narratives portray the vulnerability of workers in global clothing supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The research analyses the rhetoric in global clothing retailers' and NGOs' counter-rhetoric during the first seven months of 2020. Findings: During this period, retailers employed rhetorical strategies to legitimise irresponsible actions (corporate hegemony prevailed), while NGOs embraced forms of counter-rhetoric trying to delegitimise the retailers' logic, stressing the role of neoliberalism in worsening the situation. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the literature by providing new insight into the consequences of COVID-19 for retailers' neoliberal practices and the livelihood of workers in global supply chains. Findings of this study extend authors’ knowledge about retailers' COVID-19 measures: These have contributed to the plights of workers working for their supply factories in the global South.

AB - Purpose: This article aims to examine how non-governmental organisations (NGOs)' narratives portray the vulnerability of workers in global clothing supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The research analyses the rhetoric in global clothing retailers' and NGOs' counter-rhetoric during the first seven months of 2020. Findings: During this period, retailers employed rhetorical strategies to legitimise irresponsible actions (corporate hegemony prevailed), while NGOs embraced forms of counter-rhetoric trying to delegitimise the retailers' logic, stressing the role of neoliberalism in worsening the situation. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the literature by providing new insight into the consequences of COVID-19 for retailers' neoliberal practices and the livelihood of workers in global supply chains. Findings of this study extend authors’ knowledge about retailers' COVID-19 measures: These have contributed to the plights of workers working for their supply factories in the global South.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Global clothing retailers

KW - Neoliberalism

KW - NGO counter-Rhetoric

KW - Transparency

KW - Workers' vulnerability

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85113729247

U2 - 10.1108/AAAJ-08-2020-4794

DO - 10.1108/AAAJ-08-2020-4794

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85113729247

SN - 0951-3574

VL - 35

SP - 216

EP - 228

JO - Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal

JF - Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal

IS - 1

ER -