Loading...
MAS and the Women Go Beyond programme
Watson, Noshua
Watson, Noshua
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Collections
Files
Loading...
GE_144_MAS_Women.pdf
Adobe PDF, 41.65 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"This case study describes the MAS Women Go Beyond employee empowerment program that was initiated by MAS Holdings, a Sri Lankan intimate and active apparel manufacturer. Starting in 2003, the Go Beyond program was implemented at MAS apparel plants in Sri Lanka, India and Vietnam to provide career development, health and lifestyle education, awards and local community development programs for MAS seamstresses. The majority of apparel industry workers are women and 92% of MAS employees are female. In addition, Sri Lanka is a challenging base for a multinational enterprise due to its low per capita GDP and ongoing civil conflict. Over the years, in response to these circumstances, MAS plants have provided transportation to work, free meals, banking services, English and computer classes and supported local schools and hospitals. Before the Go Beyond program, the variety and funding of classes and community participation were at each plant manager’s discretion. Go Beyond created a framework to standardize, improve and track the results of the employee programs at each plant, with a particular focus on women’s issues. Previous to the launch of the Go Beyond program, the company had a “MAS Standard” of corporate practices which explicitly lists the Global Compact Principles and the UN Charter of International Human Rights as guides for the company’s conduct (see Annex). The Go Beyond program identified where the Principles were already in place and improved their application in other areas. In particular the Go Beyond program emphasizes Global Compact Principle One, that “within their sphere of influence, businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.” Special attention is focused on the rights and treatment of women. In this regard the program emphasizes Principle Five: the effective abolition of child labor, and Principle Six: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. As a result, the Go Beyond program converted a company culture of “doing the right thing” into a systematic effort not only to avoid abuse and complicity in an industry known for labor violations, but to actively promote human rights. MAS also faced increasing competition due to the growth of apparel manufacturing in China after the end of the Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA). Prior to 2005, many textile and apparel manufacturers spread their production between plants in multiple developing countries in order to take advantage of import quotas in developed economies. After the MFA expired, apparel retailers reduced the number of manufacturers and locations used for sourcing their goods, which resulted in an increasing concentration of manufacturing in China. As a manufacturer for major retail brands, MAS was sensitive to its clients’ need for ethical and transparent sourcing in order to protect their brand reputations. MAS management was also encouraged to develop Go Beyond in order to turn its “sweatshop-free” reputation into a competitive advantage that differentiates it from other apparel manufacturers."
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Preprint
Date
2008
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder