How has international business influenced the use of child

labor
Prompt:
In a turn of events your company has been exposed for utilising child labor during
manufacturing process from mainstream media. This scandal has caused an extreme drop
in profits. Loyal consumers have turned against your company and began boycotts and
protests against your products. This drop of profits and customer loyalty is ruining
production processes and company image. It has also affected your company’s
partnerships with suppliers in Asia. If you lose this partnership your company will have to
find new suppliers to either keep production prices low, which means illegal forms of labor,
or find new locations with higher standards, but will cost more in production.

Instructions:
With your fellow executive coworkers conduct research about your company’s work
code and regulations (both domestic and international), production costs and revenue on
general products, history of known, or suspicious use of child labor, and solutions that your
company may have done. Some companies have solved their issue of child labor in their
supply chains, but most have not. Be creative as possible to solve this global issue. Make
sure solutions follow the company’s beliefs and perspective and it must be logical and
doable. Remember you are acting as if you are a member of your brand. Stick to the
company’s beliefs even if it goes against yours.

The general question for this simulation that must be kept in mind is:
*“How does International Businesses’ Influence Child Labor and what can Businesses do to
stop it?”*

With your partners you must create:

- A one page proposal on your company’s general history, child labor history, and
solutions that have been done by the company (if applicable) AND your own
solutions. This is for round one of the simulation.
- 2-3 open ended questions to ask during round 2 during rebuttal stage. Have
generalized questions prepared, but during the simulation if you come up with a
better question feel free to ask.
The first document must be PRINTED. Any notes that you take prior to the simulation can
be digital, but during the simulation they must be handwritten.
 Part One
Begin research with your company. Use articles, pdfs, journals, etc to learn more
about your company. Try to find resources that are unbiased or find multiple sources from
multiple perspectives. Start with:
- Company’s website
- Articles about company’s rating, stocks, scandals, etc
- Where do they make their clothes? Hint they’re made all around the world, but focus
on the Asian countries.
- Who makes the clothing? Does the company know about children in their supply
chain, acknowledge it, or refuse to admit to its existence?
- Price differences from supplies/suppliers, workers who produce products, sellers,
and actual price of the item

Part Two
Research laws and programs that are specific to workers’ rights internationally or if
your company is known to conduct business in one area, look up their laws and programs.
- Who makes the clothing? Are they hired legally or illegally based on the supplier’s
standards, the country’s laws, and international law.
- Is their working area safe?
- What is their routine? What work do they exactly do?
- Are there programs that protect children from hazardous conditions or illegal work?
Is there time for education and free time? Are the programs within company
contracts or are they outside, third party programs?
- What laws are present that protect children from child labor? If not, why is there no
laws to protect children? Is there an in between?
- Who created the rules/ laws? The supplier, country, or company?
Part Three
Research solutions that have been proved doable and accomplishable to rid child
labor from the supply chain. Start with general solutions then narrow down to make the
solution fit specifically with the region or company supplier. A few options include:
- Stop business altogether and find new suppliers.
- Change or add to programs to create equality and protected human rights
- Increase pay and/or make conditions safer
- Continue doing business and make no changes at all
Part Four
Write out the proposal of solutions inspired from part three from researching parts
one and two. There should be an introduction, given solutions with a how and why, and a
conclusion. The proposal will be used at the beginning of the simulation to set the ground
of where your company stands and allow other companies to understand where your
solutions came from. The proposal should be one page and formal. When presenting at the
beginning of the simulation it is not necessary to read off the paper, but do know your
content. It is encouraged to print out any other necessary documents to complete this
assignment. You must cite at least two credible sources within the proposal that support
your solution(s).

Companies to choose from

H&M
Forever 21
Gap
Nike
Zara
Urban outfitters
Zara
Uniqio
Aeropostale