Apparel Manufacturer and Retailer Efforts to Reduce Child Labor: An Ethics of Virtue Perspective on Codes of Conduct

Abstract

Child labor is currently an important worldwide issue. One industrial sector where children reportedly work is the apparel industry; however, recent reports suggest that the number of children assembling apparel is declining. Apparel manufacturers and retailers have been praised by international organizations for their contributions to reducing child labor. Implementing codes of conduct is the strategy chosen by many large apparel manufacturers and retailers to establish workplace standards, including minimum age of employment. This paper examines apparel manufacturer and retailer codes of conduct regarding child labor. The codes of conduct of 37 of the largest U.S. apparel manufacturers and retailers were content analyzed using the theory of virtue ethics as a framework. The codes of conduct were divided into those focusing on Legal aspects and those indicative of an Ethical perspective. Four Most Ethical business codes were identified. The ethical evaluation serves as the basis for recommendations made to assist the apparel industry in dealing with the issue of child labor in a global economy. Additionally, an industry-wide code of conduct addressing child labor is proposed.

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