Nike Promises about University Funding? Unkept?

Academy of Management - PDW Session is approved and scheduled:
Hotel:
            Hilton Washington & Towers
Room:
            State
Day:
            Saturday, August 04, 2001
Time:
            8:30 AM-4:00 PM

Please attend -- we would also like to have dinner out if you are available

August 1, 2001

Sub-group Coordinators, Facilitators, Study Group Members and invited NGOs:

Here is an agenda for the Nike/Athletic Apparel Industry Action Research Pre-conference Session meeting in Washington D.C. on August 4th. Ime and location are at http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/pdw_academy_proposal.htm

The revised proposal is at http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/AA/index.html

I hope to see as many of you as possible at this event. It will be a major time for us to organize our next steps for getting each of the four research projects (codes, sweatshop, living wage, and campus/world wide protest movement) and studies off the ground.

There will be facilitators there to help us get something tangible done by the end of the day. Hopefully we will leave at the end of the day with some action plans.

Several of the facilitators, (Hilary - 11ish; and Thoralf & Rupe - after 1 PM) have indicated time conflicts with other events, and will be in and out. We will be adaptive and go with your flow.

In talking to Rupe in France at EGOS conference (where we did a mini-version of this event), he was suggesting that we work with the groups (and plenary) on some basic Action Research kind of questions (see list be below). Given that several facilitators are tied up on the morning facilitating in other arenas, here is a suggested agenda for the day.

MORNING

1. Take census of who is there and their interests in the project.
2. Starting question: How do we organize to use our time today effectively?
3. Brief comments from Nancy and David (organizers) and the coordinators for each of the groups.

We can provoke discussion on a set of Catalyst Questions (suggested by Rupe):

1. What's the nature of the problem situation? ("deep, broad, understanding"?)
2. What's the system (the problem domain and stakeholders that must be involved to address it)?
3. What's the action, what's the research required?
4. What are the change goals of the action research? Or, said differently, What's the desirable future, towards which action research is oriented?
5. How do we proceed (with the process) to formulate an action research strategy, action steps, agenda?
6. Who gets involved in doing the research?
7. How will the research and participation change over time?

AFTERNOON

Work with the facilitators, helping us set up some action plans for our research into the four study group areas.

Main proposal is located at

Thanks for your participation,

David Boje and Nancy Landrum

Background Material (if you have the time for review prior to the session):

Kukdong Trip to Mexico http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/AA/kuk_dong_story.htm
Comparison of the Urban Community Mission (UCM) Survey
Report December 1999 to the Global Alliance, Center for
Societal Development Studies (CSDS) 2000 study http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/AA/Boje_compare_GA_and_UCM_studies.htm

PROMISES ABOUT UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

PROMISE #6 "We'll fund industry research - we'll fund university research - and open forums to explore issues related to global manufacturing and responsible business practices, such as independent monitoring and health issues. We will begin by funding four programs in United States universities in the 1998-99 academic year, and we will have our first public forum October of this year in Hong Kong" (Phillip Knight, National Press Club, 12 May 1998).

RECENT REPORT "Still Waiting for Nike to Do It," Nike's Labor Practices in the Three Years Since CEO Phil Knight's
Speech to the National Press Club - Released May 2001
By Tim Connor

Tim argues that Promise # 6 has not been met (pp. 19-20).

Published by Global Exchange. The report details each of the promises broken, including the one to facilitate university research.

We have received tentative support from RMD (Tojo Thatchenkery), History (Shawn), and ODC (Chris Worley) to co-sponsor this PDW. As I understand it, one division must spearhead it and the other two request it. Therefore, I asked Tojo Thatchenkery to be the point of contact to work out the arrangements. Here are the specifics of the proposal Nancy Landrum and are putting forward. The full 130 page proposal is at http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/call_for_nike_research.html (Note college server being worked on - so may be up and down this week).

http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/AA/

1. The PDW session title Global Manufacturing and Taylorism Practices of Nike Corporation and its Subcontractors

2. Names of primary presenter and all participants along with their affiliation, address, phone, fax, and email.

There are 45 academics who are part of the study groups. Rather than list them all and their info, I will list the main study group coordinators and action research facilitators. The names and addresses of all 45 are in a web based proposal. Below are names and addresses of subgroup coordinators and fascinators. Each has given me assurance that they will attend (please hit reply all to this message, if you want them to send you an e-letter).

STUDY GROUP ONE How has Nike enacted its espoused Code of Conduct over time?
ACTION RESEARCH FACILITATOR
Rupert Chisholm Jr
Penn State University
Address 220 Longview Blvd
City Gettysburg
State PA
Zip 17325-8071
Country
Phone (717) 948-6052
Fax (717) 948-6320
Email rfc1@PSU.edu med5@psu.edu

GROUP 1 COORDINATOR Angana P. Chatterji, Ph.D. Angana@aol.com
Professor, Social and Cultural Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco
Director of Research, Asia Forest Network Program
Center for Southeast Asia Studies
University of California, Berkeley
Subgroup one group list http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/call_for_nike_research.html#group1

STUDY GROUP TWO Does Nike pay a living wage?
ACTION RESEARCH FACILITATORS
Leopold Vansina
Professional Development Institute (Pro-Dev bvba)
Oude Baan 161
B3360 Korbeek-Lo
Belgium
Tel 32-16-46-03-94 (h)
Fax 32-16-46-39-50
E-mail leopold.vansina@skynet.be
Dr. Lichia Yiu
President
Center for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development
P. O. B. 1498
1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland
Tel (41-22) 906-17-20
Fax (41-22) 738-17-37

GROUP 2 COORDINATORS
Shawn M. Carraher, Ph. D. email Shawn_Carraher@tamu-commerce.edu (Has volunteered as subgroup coordinator)
Professor of Management & Global Entrepreneurship
Texas A & M University - Commerce
George Watson, PhD email watsong@stjohns.edu ; gwatson01@aol.com (Has volunteered as subgroup coordinator)
Department of Management
St. John's University
(On Leave)
Current mailing address
10416 Greenmont Drive
Tampa, Florida 33626
Subgroup two group list http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/call_for_nike_research.html#group2

STUDY GROUP THREE Does Nike subcontract with "sweatshops"? ACTION RESEARCH FACILITATOR Professor Thoralf Ulrik Qvale forskningsleder/Arbeidsforskningsinstituttet
P.O. Box 8171 Dep, N-0034 Oslo
tlf +47 23 36 92 00
mobil +47 930 250 30
e-mail tq@afi-wri.no
GROUP 3 COORDINATOR Professor Ngaire Bissett ngaire.bissett@rmit.edu.au
School of Management
RMIT University
239 Bourke Street
Victoria 3000
Australia
tel + 6 1 3 9925 5941
fax + 6 1 3 9925 5580
e-mail ngaire.bissett@rmit.edu.au
Subgroup three group list http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/call_for_nike_research.html#group3

STUDY GROUP FOUR What is the relationship between Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Workers Rights Consortium (WRC)?
ACTION RESEARCH FACILITATOR Bradbury Hilary
hxb22@guinness.som.cwru.edu
GROUP 4 COORDINATOR Professor Carty, Victoria Louise cartyvl@jmu.edu
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
e-mail cartyvl@jmu.edu
phone (540) 568-5361
Subgroup four group list http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/call_for_nike_research.html#group4

3. 250-word description of the proposed workshop
The purpose of the research is to develop interdisciplinary work and dialogue that will address a set of research questions that is of growing concern to academics, the general public, and the Nike Corporation. Basic research while important is not sufficient. We propose to embark upon action research initiative that brings various stakeholders (researchers, workers, corporate executives, managers, subcontractor mangers, governmental and non-governmental organizations) together to implement change. There has been a good deal of consulting (i.e. Global Alliance, Fair Labor Association, and Price Waterhouse Coopers) and non-governmental organization (NGO) report and media writing, but limited academic empirical study (See Appendix B). The issue is to rethink labor and environmental monitoring practices, within a larger context that compels a reframing of the institutions and ethics of development and globalization. Our purpose can be summarized to promote dialogue that leads to basic, applied, participatory, as well as action research efforts that lead to change. We have four research subgroups organized as follows

1. How has Nike enacted its espoused Code of Conduct over time? This study group will focus on monitoring studies by PWC, FLA, and Global Alliance, as well as studies that support and question their methods and findings.

2. Does Nike pay a living wage? This study group will sample subcontract factory workers, review factory payroll records, and collect data that will measure and validate various living wage formula. In addition we are proposing action research experiments that would implement and test various wage-payment schemes in a sample of factories across nations.

3. Does Nike subcontract with "sweatshops"? This study group will look at definitions of sweatshops and measure said variables in a sample of subcontract factories. In addition, they will propose and conduct action research experiments that test what we described in our review as forms of French Taylorism. This way a sample of existing subcontract firms can be compared with the experimental options.

4. What is the relationship between Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Workers Rights Consortium (WRC)? This study group will focus on the monitoring efforts of FLA and WRC by sampling colleges and universities with and without FLA and/or WRC agreements.

It is the task of each subgroup to decide upon the most valid, reliable and credible methodologies to address their respective research question and our overall objectives. Each sub-group will review research proposals and participants for selection to do various tasks, such as participate in action research experiments. Finally, some members (but not all) will want to be selected to actually travel to collect field data. Each study team will make a specific set of recommendations on methodology and to improve the situation for Nike and its works. Interviews and field studies would best be conducted by multi-lingual researchers in order to minimize translation difficulties.

Action Research Design Besides conducting and publishing research reports and journal article studies on the four research questions, we would like to do two more things (For background on action research, see http//web.nmsu.edu/~dboje/TDactonresearch.html). First, we want to involve governments, academics, workers, unions, and NGOs in the host countries in improving working conditions. This is what we have referred to as the experiments in "French Taylorism." Second we would like to promote dialogue with Nike Corporation, government agencies, monitoring groups, workers, and sub-contract factory owners (and managers) that leads to improved working conditions and improved monitoring. As reviewed, there is already a trend we identify as increased government control on the horizon. By inviting dialogue, we do not mean compromise, or surrender of independence or our research, rather a commitment to platforms for conversation, where we might disagree but agree to come to the table. Keeping our independence is our main reason for not requesting monies from Nike for this study.

5. Room size, seating configuration, and any audiovisual equipment requests other than a standard overhead projector.

Room size large enough for 100 to 125 people to form plenary and four breakout groups. Will need five flip charts, marker pens, and masking tape.

6. A consent letter stating that if accepted you would register for the program and conduct the workshop.

I hereby consent, if our session is accepted, to run the workshop and to attend the PDW and Academy of Management Meetings in Washington D.C.

Nancy Landrum is co-coordinating the session. I will ask her to send you a letter of intent to attend.

Professional Development Workshop for Academy of Management Meetings in Washington D.C.

Proposed for August 4, 2001 from 8:30 A.M. to 4P.M.

http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/AA/