Issues and challenges of CSR practices in textile industry: an empirical study in Suzhou, China. (11th November 2008)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Danqing; Tan, Kim Hua
• Is Part Of: International journal of management and enterprise development. Volume 5:Number 6(2008)
• Page Start: 759
• Page End: 772
• Publication Date: 2008-11-11
• Subjects: CSR implementation -- corporate social responsibility -- textile industry -- China -- textiles; Small business -- Management -- Periodicals; Entrepreneurship -- Periodicals; 658.02205
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-4330

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is emerging as one of today's most important and hottest topics for firms &ndash big or small. Especially, manufacturing firms in developing countries such as China and India &ndash the world 'manufacturing floor' – are under heavy scrutiny from many parties. There are mounting concerns of the limits of government legislative and regulatory initiatives to effectively capture all the issues that CSR addresses. This paper aims to research the status of CSR activities in China &ndash especially focusing on the textile industry in the Suzhou province. Textile industry has been attacked by NGOs for much of the river pollutions in the third world, but yet, a review of literature shows little is available on the status of CSR practises in the textile industry. This paper obtains data through a survey of 220 companies and in-depth case studies in the Suzhou textile industry. The findings reveal the emergence of CSR as corporate focus, but there are many barriers to its implementation.