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Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics
BY Locke, Richard M ( Author ) [{ The Promise and Limits of Private Power: Promoting Labor Standards in a Global Economy (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics (Paperback)) By Locke, Richard M ( Author ) Apr - 01- 2013 ( Paperback ) } ]
BY Locke, Richard M ( Author ) [{ The Promise and Limits of Private Promoting Labor Standards in a Global Economy (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics (Paperback)) By Locke, Richard M ( Author ) Apr - 01- 2013 ( Paperback ) } ]
Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. Locke does an excellent, nuanced job of demonstrating how private compliance programs have worked and how they have fallen short when it comes to improving labor conditions. He does a great job weaving in anecdotes while staying true to the rigorous research nature of the book.
His demonstration of which aspects (like health and safety) have been moderately successfully improved with private compliance programs and which aspects (freedom to affiliate, wages, working hours) have been less successfully addressed and require joint efforts either in parallel or in collaboration with local and national government or NGOs.
Locke does an excellent job of being optimistic yet incredibly pragmatic and results oriented. This is very refreshing compared to the defeatist and idealist veins that can dominate difficult topics such as international labor standards.
I'm not sure if this book will actually move the needle but anyone involved with or concerned with these issues should read this book. It is not a Taylorist "one best way" cookbook approach but it does define a framework under which programs can succeed and have succeeded in countries across the world to deliver tangible results to some of the most vulnerable workers.
His demonstration of which aspects (like health and safety) have been moderately successfully improved with private compliance programs and which aspects (freedom to affiliate, wages, working hours) have been less successfully addressed and require joint efforts either in parallel or in collaboration with local and national government or NGOs.
Locke does an excellent job of being optimistic yet incredibly pragmatic and results oriented. This is very refreshing compared to the defeatist and idealist veins that can dominate difficult topics such as international labor standards.
I'm not sure if this book will actually move the needle but anyone involved with or concerned with these issues should read this book. It is not a Taylorist "one best way" cookbook approach but it does define a framework under which programs can succeed and have succeeded in countries across the world to deliver tangible results to some of the most vulnerable workers.
April 20, 2015
An interesting look, mostly through case studies, of how labor standards emerge and interact with culture and law, as globalization moves more and more production to countries with less responsive governments.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews