Social management capabilities of multinational buying firms and their emerging market suppliers: An exploratory study of the clothing industry

Abstract For sustainability, research in operations and supply chain management historically emphasized the development of environmental rather than social capabilities. However, factory disasters in Bangladesh, an emerging market and the second largest clothing exporter in the world, revealed enormous challenges in the implementation of social sustainability in complex global supply chains. Against the backdrop of a building collapse in Bangladesh's clothing industry, this research uses multiple case studies from two time periods to explore the skills, practices, relationships and processes – collectively termed “social management capabilities” (SMCs) – that help buyers and suppliers respond to stakeholder pressures; address regulatory gaps; and improve social performance. The study not only captures the perspectives of both multinational buyers and their emerging market suppliers,…