Affärsmöjligheterna från CSR : en studie bland leverantörer i Vietnam

Abstract: Vietnam has experienced a rapid economic growth during the last decades. However, this rapidgrowth is not only positive. Working conditions in many factories are poor and insufficient wagesare very common. As a response to this and the increased external pressure from stakeholdersregarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), many multinational companies (MNCs) haveconstructed codes of conduct which acts as guidelines for the suppliers. The purpose of this studyis to explain and contribute to an increased understanding of how complying with a code ofconduct set up by an MNC affects a Vietnamese shoe supplier’s view of committing to CSR as away of increasing its profitability. This multiple case study was conducted using a qualitativeresearch approach and is based on data that was gathered from mainly semi-structured interviews.As a way of getting access to Vietnamese suppliers we cooperated with a MNC that had theirproduction outsourced to producers in Vietnam. By using the information in the theoreticalframework we analyzed the empirical findings and found that a collaborative partnership betweensuppliers and MNCs when implementing CSR practices deriving from a code of conduct iscrucial if the supplier don’t have any prior knowledge of such implementation. Benefits thatsuppliers have reaped from committing to CSR are decreased employee turnover, morecommitted workers and improved reputation. We also found that when experiencing thesebenefits gained from committing to CSR the commitment increases even more. The suppliers arealso aware of the importance of CSR practices to achieve long term profitability. In the future,Vietnam may only attract customers that order high quality products. To be able to handle thesenew demands commitment to CSR and new technology are of grave importance.This thesis will continue to be in English.