Dressing up for Diffusion: Codes of Conduct in the German Textile and Apparel Industry, 1997–2010

Abstract

I study the diffusion of codes of conduct in the German textile and apparel industry between 1997 and 2010. Using a longitudinal case study design, I aim to understand how the diffusion of this practice was affected by the way important ''infomediaries''-a trade journal and a professional association-shaped its understanding within the industry. My results show that time-consuming processes of meaning reconstruction by these infomediaries temporarily hampered but finally facilitated the broader material diffusion of codes of conduct within the industry. These findings detail existing conceptualizations of code diffusion as they demonstrate how infomediaries-through creation, use, and reconstruction of explanatory accounts as well as frames of reference-participate in defining the relevance and meaning of CSR practices. I move beyond prior empirical work as I explicitly assess not only processes of meaning construction evolving around a CSR practice but also how these processes over time coincide with quantitative patterns of its material diffusion. Implications of my findings for existing research on the diffusion of codes of conduct specifically and CSR practices in general as well as for conceptualizations of diffusion from institutional theory are discussed.

Levers of Control for Supply Chain Sustainability: Control and Governance Mechanisms in a Cross-Boundary Setting

“…Depending on the type of buyer-supplier relations, these upstream activities in light of sustainable and ethical sourcing, can be oriented towards different approaches of supplier assessment, development, collaboration [1]. Following a high buyer demand of CSR initiatives in supply chain context [37], a variety of management systems and monitoring approaches has been developed, yet there effectiveness with regard to delivering adequate CSR results is still contested [38,39]. A recent study by Bartczek [40] however shows that Socially Responsible Purchasing (SRP) is a driving force of CSR behavioral alignment among the single actors of a (textile) supply chain.…”

Corporate social responsibility, juridification and globalisation: ‘inventive interventionism’ for a ‘paradox’

“…As Loss (1988, p. 33) rightly observed: ‘people who are forced to undress in public will presumably pay some attention to their figures.’ This requires legal substantive and procedural rights of stakeholders because ‘[t]o the extent that law focuses on companies’ internal responsibility processes rather than external accountability outcomes, law runs the risk of becoming a substanceless sham, to the delight of corporate power-mongers who can bend it to their interests’ (Parker, 2007). It also involves recognising that stakeholders rely on ‘infomediaries’ such as the mass news media and industry and professional publications for information (Scheiber, 2015, p. 559).…”

Institutional theory‐based research on corporate social responsibility: Bringing values back in

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