Nike Casse
Case 2: Nike: The Sweatshop Debate
Nike is a prolific international company with humble origins that has come to be known as a premium provider of athletic apparel and other assorted items. The Nike “swoosh” is one of a host of logos/symbols that can be recognized the world over. However, the beginnings of Nike are far more pedestrian than their global organization today. Nike is a company that was founded in 1972 by former University of Oregon track star Phil Knight. Though it may have had humble origins, today, Nike is a top producer of athletic apparel and shoes. Today, the company earns just over $20 Billion in annual revenues by selling their products in over 140 nations across the globe. With such impressive numbers, Nike must manufacture a huge quantity of products to meet their global demand. Unfortunately, Nike does not manufacture any of their own products, instead they contract out their manufacturing to some 600 factories across the globe. All told, these factories employ approximately 650,000 people. It is through these manufacturing plants that Nike has run in to a great deal of difficulty. Since its founding in 1972, Nike has been at the forefront of the globalization of markets. As stated earlier, in just over 40 years of business, their brand is being sold in 140 countries worldwide. Unfortunately, many of their manufacturing plants happen to be located in some third world countries where poverty is rampant. According to many analysts and critics, Nike pays their employees in these plants a below subsistence wage, thus perpetrating “sweat shops” in many of these manufacturing plants.
Essentially, the case against Nike focuses on the fact that many of their workers are paid a below subsistence wage and work tremendous amounts of overtime and are not properly compensated for it. According to the case, there have been numerous attacks made against Nike by news organizations such as 48 hours, labor union foundations like Made in the
Nike is a prolific international company with humble origins that has come to be known as a premium provider of athletic apparel and other assorted items. The Nike “swoosh” is one of a host of logos/symbols that can be recognized the world over. However, the beginnings of Nike are far more pedestrian than their global organization today. Nike is a company that was founded in 1972 by former University of Oregon track star Phil Knight. Though it may have had humble origins, today, Nike is a top producer of athletic apparel and shoes. Today, the company earns just over $20 Billion in annual revenues by selling their products in over 140 nations across the globe. With such impressive numbers, Nike must manufacture a huge quantity of products to meet their global demand. Unfortunately, Nike does not manufacture any of their own products, instead they contract out their manufacturing to some 600 factories across the globe. All told, these factories employ approximately 650,000 people. It is through these manufacturing plants that Nike has run in to a great deal of difficulty. Since its founding in 1972, Nike has been at the forefront of the globalization of markets. As stated earlier, in just over 40 years of business, their brand is being sold in 140 countries worldwide. Unfortunately, many of their manufacturing plants happen to be located in some third world countries where poverty is rampant. According to many analysts and critics, Nike pays their employees in these plants a below subsistence wage, thus perpetrating “sweat shops” in many of these manufacturing plants.
Essentially, the case against Nike focuses on the fact that many of their workers are paid a below subsistence wage and work tremendous amounts of overtime and are not properly compensated for it. According to the case, there have been numerous attacks made against Nike by news organizations such as 48 hours, labor union foundations like Made in the