The Paradox of Export Growth in Areas of Weak Governance: The Case of the Ready Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Ahmed, Faisal Z.; Greenleaf, Anne Regan; Sacks, Audrey

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.11.001

Cited by 81 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Therefore, these factory owners tend to neglect or ignore the OHS provisions to increase their gain, as they do not fear being caught and punished for their evasive nature. This finding is further supported by the empirical evidence found in other studies which shows that neither a safety audit nor even any kind of proper investigation of accidents have ever been carried out to date to find the offenders and bring them under sanctions by the country's government (Ahmed et al 2014;Ahmed & Hossain 2009;Haider 2007;Yunus & Yamagata 2012;Zaman et al 2013).…”

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confidence: 63%

“…willingness to act rationally is somewhat compromised in a situation where there is ample empirical evidence of a lack of worthwhile safety audits, and nor has any kind of justifiable investigation been observed whatsoever by the government of the country or social compliance authorities (Ahmed et al, 2014;Chowdhury & Tanim, 2016;Yunus & Yamagata 2012;Zaman et al, 2013). On several occasions, people in the factory make decisions intentionally to become involved in a deviant act by taking advantage of the situation whereby their factories are excluded from the foreign retailers' audit process or because of the government's incapability to monitor and impose sanctions on them (Ahmed et al, 2014;Chowdhury & Tanim, 2016;Zaman et al, 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…On several occasions, people in the factory make decisions intentionally to become involved in a deviant act by taking advantage of the situation whereby their factories are excluded from the foreign retailers' audit process or because of the government's incapability to monitor and impose sanctions on them (Ahmed et al, 2014;Chowdhury & Tanim, 2016;Zaman et al, 2013). This shows that this evasive nature is not an "error of judgement," but a rational choice whereby an individual acts to balance the costs against the benefits to arrive at action that maximises his/her own personal advantage.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Is Ohs Negligence and Evasion an “Error of Judgement” or “White-Collar Crime”? An Interpretation of Apparel Manufacturers in Bangladesh

Chowdhury

2016

JMC

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This paper investigates the managerial interpretation of the terms "error of judgement" and "white-collar crime" in relation to the evasion or negligence observed in administering occupational health and safety (OHS) provisions in the apparel manufacturing sector of Bangladesh. The research is qualitative in nature and follows an interpretivist paradigm. The questionnaire responses were collected from 20 mid-and top-level managers from 10 large apparel manufacturing factories located on the outskirts of Dhaka. The research reveals that all of the respondents have adequate knowledge about the relevant OHS provisions and safety protocols imposed on them by the local government and the global supply chain. They believe that the correct administration of the OHS provisions will reduce workplace accidents effectively. The research unfolds that the respondents interpret in different ways the terms "error of judgement" and "white-collar crime" in association with OHS negligence and evasion. Although empirical evidence shows that this type of negligence and evasion are considered as white-collar crime and punishable, most of the respondents in this research do not subscribe to this notion and alternatively believe that it is an "error of judgement" and therefore non-punishable.

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confidence: 63%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Is Ohs Negligence and Evasion an “Error of Judgement” or “White-Collar Crime”? An Interpretation of Apparel Manufacturers in Bangladesh

Chowdhury

2016

JMC

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“…4 This literature has proposed that the explanation for this paradox lies in the existence of a 'political settlement' that is characterised by intense partisan competition, high levels of corruption, and extensive patronage networks, but which is equally built on informal norms and networks that have ensured predictability and profitability for leading sectors (Ahmed, Greenleaf, & Sacks, 2013;Hassan, 2013;Khan, 2008aKhan, , 2010Khan, , 2013. This study provides a detailed empirical account of precisely these types of dynamics within the realm of taxation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Political Economy of Domestic Tax Reform in Bangladesh: Political Settlements, Informal Institutions and the Negotiation of Reform

Hassan

Prichard

2016

The Journal of Development Studies

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This paper explains the persistence of a tax system characterised by low revenue collection and extensive informality in Bangladesh. It combines analysis of long-term formal and informal institutions and of micro-level incentives shaping negotiation of short-term reform. The system is unusually informal, discretionary, and corrupt, but remains resistant to change because it delivers low and predictable tax rates to business, extensive opportunities for corruption to the tax administration, and an important vehicle for fundraising by political leaders and rent distribution to their elite supporters. We then explore the dynamics of micro-level reform and external pressure within the constraints of this overarching political bargain.

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“…These social changes have occurred despite ongoing weaknesses in national and local governance in Bangladesh, including a centralised administration, corruption, a lack of unionization, limiting the capacity for collective action, and patronage politics, being the exchange of resources for political support and benefits (Ahmed, Greenleaf, & Sacks, 2014;Mahmud et al, 2008;Mahmud & Mahmud, 2014). Elections are frequently beset by violence, and there is a lack of meaningful dialogue between the two major parties, what Jahan (2014: 265) describes as a "toxic confrontational culture" based on ideology.…”

Section: National Governance and Political Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change adaptation in Southwest Bangladesh: vulnerability and gender inequality

MacMahon¹

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The threat of climate change looms large for Bangladesh, located between the Ganges Delta and the Bay of Bengal. Climate change is expected to impact the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh, particularly those who live in coastal areas and are poor or disadvantaged. Women are considered to be particularly vulnerable as a result of gendered roles, responsibilities and limited entitlements. While there is a growing body of work regarding the ways in which gender, class, and livelihoods contribute to climate change vulnerability in Bangladesh, there is little scholarship examining adaptation in terms of its capacity to address the social and political aspects of vulnerability. In addition, much gender and climate change research suffers from static representations of women and gender relations.To address these gaps in the literature, this thesis uses adaptive capacity vulnerability theory, in conjunction with feminist political ecology, to examine the transformative capacity of adaptation initiatives in the Bagerhat region of Southwest of Bangladesh. By adopting a bottom-up approach to social enquiry, this thesis investigates, 1) The nature and community experiences of environmental and climate changes in the region; 2) The social factors that mediate experiences of environmental and climate change, including gender, class and governance; and 3) The ways in which adaptation initiatives interact with underlying causes of vulnerability, with a focus gender.Employing an embedded case study approach and utilising a range of participatory methods, this thesis makes four key findings. Firstly, climate change in Southwest Bangladesh is situated within local political, economic and ecological contexts. The impacts of climate change were found to be 'magnifying' a range of pre-existing environmental challenges that have occurred as a result of political and economic interventions in agriculture in the Southwest. Secondly, women's experiences of, and responses to, environmental change were being shaped by gendered roles, responsibilities and expectations. Gender in this context was undergoing changes as a result of material needs, and women's own agentic desires to help their communities. However, these shifts were having little impact on women's broader capabilities and entitlements. Thirdly, the adaptation initiatives observed were doing little to enhance community capacities in climate change adaptation, and were failing to respond to macro political and economic issues. Most adaptation initiatives, including small-scale improvements to farming and livelihoods, had largely failed to address poverty, gender inequality or the underlying causes of environmental change. Rather, these iii initiatives were assigning obligations to communities, allowing governments to abdicate their responsibilities. Finally, what these findings suggest is that in order to initiate adaptation measures that are sustainable and socially just, there is a need for an approach that is inclusive and transform...

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The Paradox of Export Growth in Areas of Weak Governance: The Case of the Ready Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Cited by 81 publications

References 21 publications

Is Ohs Negligence and Evasion an “Error of Judgement” or “White-Collar Crime”? An Interpretation of Apparel Manufacturers in Bangladesh

Is Ohs Negligence and Evasion an “Error of Judgement” or “White-Collar Crime”? An Interpretation of Apparel Manufacturers in Bangladesh

The Political Economy of Domestic Tax Reform in Bangladesh: Political Settlements, Informal Institutions and the Negotiation of Reform

Climate change adaptation in Southwest Bangladesh: vulnerability and gender inequality

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