Hitting the Wall: Nike and International Labor Practices
In the mid-1990s Nike, one of the world's most successful footwear companies, is hit by a spate of alarmingly bad publicity. After years of high-profile media attention as the company that can "just do it," Nike is suddenly being portrayed as a firm that relies on low-cost, exploited labor in its overseas plants. Nike officials vigorously deny the charges, claiming that Nike has no control over the independent contractors who manufacture Nike shoes. But the activists will not retreat. Eventually, Nike must learn to deal with the activists' claims and with the tangle of conflicting data that surrounds the concept of a "fair" or "living" wage.
Keywords: Wages; Developing Countries and Economies;
Citation:
Spar, Debora L., and Jennifer Burns. "Hitting the Wall: Nike and International Labor Practices." Harvard Business School Case 700-047, January 2000. (Revised September 2002.) View Details