Revisiting Supplier Compliance with MNC Codes of Conduct: Recoupling Policy and Practice at Chinese Toy Suppliers

摘要: Does private regulation of workers’ rights in global value chains improve working conditions on the factory floor? Drawing one first systematic longitudinal studies supplier compliance with multinational corporation (MNC) codes conduct, this paper finds—in contrast to previous research—substantial improvements over time. While 2004, four examined Chinese toy suppliers violated most evaluated code conduct criteria and consciously decoupled policy from actual practices, by 2009 they had recoupled practice complied nearly all (except hours). The contributes literature challenging research claims, identifying factors that could make effective, outlining a method for empirically studying effects also new institutional theory discussing how recoupling be influenced two not identified research: (i) trusting relationships between organization stakeholder exerting pressure (ii) unrelated main external pressures leading “accidental” recoupling.