H&M. Ethics and Social Responsibility of the Swedish Fashion Giant
H&M. Ethics and social responsibility of the Swedish fashion giant
(case study)
Author: Maria Roszkowska-Śliż, Katedra Teorii Zarządzania, Kolegium Zarządzania i Finansów, Warsaw School of Economics
Source: “Style and Substance. Sustainability Repot 2009”, H&M 2010
Warsaw, 2011
H&M Ethics and social responsibility of the Swedish fashion giant
H&M is one of the world’s largest fashion company employing 76 thousand people. The company, established in Sweden in 1947, owes now around 2 200 stores in 35 different countries. It offers a varied selection of clothes for women, men, teens and children, as well as cosmetics, shoes and accessories.
H&M offers its customers fashion and quality at the best price, nevertheless still thinking about its impact on society and environment. The company’s corporate social responsiblity strategy includes 5 areas: • Supply chain • Environment • Products • Empolyees • Community H&M doesn’t have or operate any factories of its own. It sources clothes and other products from about 700 independent suppliers. That is why one of the most important areas of its corporate social responsibility is supply chain management. The company products are manufactured in around 2 thousand production units, mostly located in Asia and Europe, often in countries with high of the risk of human rights violations and non-compliance with local labour law and internationally agreed labour standards. H&M believes that it has a responsibility to its suppliers and their employees. Being large international corporation, the company promotes human and labour rights among the suppliers in order to improve working conditions in production units.
Code of Conduct
The H&M Code of Conduct is the main tool used to influence the suppliers. The document outlines the requirements we have towards all our suppliers for improving working conditions and environmental practices in their operations. It is based on the UN Convention on the
2
Rights of
(case study)
Author: Maria Roszkowska-Śliż, Katedra Teorii Zarządzania, Kolegium Zarządzania i Finansów, Warsaw School of Economics
Source: “Style and Substance. Sustainability Repot 2009”, H&M 2010
Warsaw, 2011
H&M Ethics and social responsibility of the Swedish fashion giant
H&M is one of the world’s largest fashion company employing 76 thousand people. The company, established in Sweden in 1947, owes now around 2 200 stores in 35 different countries. It offers a varied selection of clothes for women, men, teens and children, as well as cosmetics, shoes and accessories.
H&M offers its customers fashion and quality at the best price, nevertheless still thinking about its impact on society and environment. The company’s corporate social responsiblity strategy includes 5 areas: • Supply chain • Environment • Products • Empolyees • Community H&M doesn’t have or operate any factories of its own. It sources clothes and other products from about 700 independent suppliers. That is why one of the most important areas of its corporate social responsibility is supply chain management. The company products are manufactured in around 2 thousand production units, mostly located in Asia and Europe, often in countries with high of the risk of human rights violations and non-compliance with local labour law and internationally agreed labour standards. H&M believes that it has a responsibility to its suppliers and their employees. Being large international corporation, the company promotes human and labour rights among the suppliers in order to improve working conditions in production units.
Code of Conduct
The H&M Code of Conduct is the main tool used to influence the suppliers. The document outlines the requirements we have towards all our suppliers for improving working conditions and environmental practices in their operations. It is based on the UN Convention on the
2
Rights of