Assignment 2: Ethical Issues in Marketing Individual Written Assignment Essay
Assignment 2: Ethical Issues in Marketing Individual Written Assignment Essay
(2,000 words)
Submit By Friday in Week 12
(16th April 2021) 50% of module mark
Case Study Task The case study forms the second assessment of the module. It is an individual paper worth 50% of the overall module mark. The case study assessment is this:
Critically evaluate how Western fashion brands should respond to the controversy surrounding the treatment of garment workers in Asia.
The topic links to a number of marketing related themes – corporate social responsibility, ethical consumption, brand image, and public relations.
The issue of good corporate citizenship is important to all managers and it is increasingly important to marketing professionals. Brands are now expected to “do the right thing” when facing the social and of our time. Failure to do so can have negative implications for the brand in the marketplace and it can weaken the beneficial effects of the marketing effort of the business. Consumers may even boycott a brand that is seen to be unethical or to have behaved badly. Conversely, a brand that has shown itself to be a good corporate citizen may benefit from a consumer “buycott” and corporate virtue may even help to achieve competitive advantage.
The assignment considers the alleged poor working conditions of workers in the garment industry in Asia who make products for Western fashion brands. Allegations of ill treatment and exploitation of workers create ethical issues for many Western fashion brands that outsource production to Asia. From a marketing perspective, allegations of unethical practice in the production process present issues in terms of brand perception and positioning with the potential threat of consumer boycott potentially leading to erosion of brand credibility and market share.
You are asked to consider why the public concern about factory conditions in Asia should worry you as a marketer / brand manager, and to consider what might be done to minimise the negative impact on your brand.
It is important to note that it is usually not the fashion brands that mistreat garment production workers directly. The Western fashion brands often do not own the garment factories where exploitation takes place, and many brands do have codes of ethical conduct which describe how they aim to behave. However, the is potential for bad publicity for these brands because they commission manufacture of garments from local Asian manufacturers where abuses have been shown to take place. It is very difficult for the Western fashion brands to monitor and control what happens in the factories. Therefore, consumers may tend to blame the fashion brands for sweatshops and other issues. As a marketer any issue that may affect how consumers feel about our brand is your concern.
Preparation:
These sources will help you to prepare your paper. You can use some of them and reference them in your paper if you want. However, obviously there are other sources out there too so you may want to find some of your own sources as well to make your paper more unique.
Garment Workers’ Human Rights Day 2019.
https://labourbehindthelabel.org/hrd2019/Boohoo
https://labourbehindthelabel.org/boohoo/Pakistan Garment Industry Safety Report
https://cleanclothes.org/file-repository/pakistan-safety-report.pdf/viewCollapse of Cambodia Garment Factory Building
https://cleanclothes.org/file-repository/en-sihanoukville-building-collapse-joint-statement-final-1.pdf/viewVideo on Garment Factory Workers in Cambodia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTehggY29XgGarment Workers in Vietnam
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-garment-labour/harsh-tactics-used-to-keep-wages-low-for-vietnamese-garment-workers-idUSKCN1RN0ZTEvaluation of H&M and other Brands
https://rankabrand.org/Retailers/H%26MInditex Code of Conduct for Manufacturers
https://www.inditex.com/documents/10279/241035/Inditex+Code+of+Conduct+for+Manufacturers+and+Suppliers/e23dde6a-4b0e-4e16-a2aa-68911d303Don’t forget also that you need to include a portfolio of 5 documents or visual sources as an appendix with a paragraph for each source to explain why you found each source interesting / helpful. Remember too that you must include some theoretical content in your paper. Branding, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Public Relations are relevant areas of theory. Do not fall into the trap of just telling a story about sweatshops. A suggested structure for your paper is provided on the next page. Then the page after that shows marking criteria.
Preliminaries
Comment
A Title Page Detailing the title of the report; the name of the author of the report; matriculation number; programme of study; the module title; assessment title; word count; and the submission date.
Plagiarism Declaration This must be signed by you.
Executive Summary A one-page (maximum) synopsis of the whole report. Note that this should summarise the whole report; it is not an introduction. These are ‘free words’ i.e. they are not included in your word count.
Report Introduction Identification of the overall objective of the report and what you will discuss in it.
Main body
[N.B. this is not a section title!]
It is expected this is spread over several sections and you would have relevant sub-headings where appropriate. Make sure you relate your discussion to academic theory. Avoid falling into the trap of just telling a story about sweatshops in Asia. Here are some areas you might want to consider:
Threats: What are the key threats that Western fashion brands face due to the unrest about garment manufacturing conditions in Asia? Consider this in terms of branding. Is this a threat to brand positioning, brand vision, brand experience?
CSR: To what extent does the scandal undermine the CSR policies of Western fashion brands?
Public Relations: What are the potential public relations issues that may arise with Western customers due to the situation in Asia? Note potential risk of consumer boycott.
Evaluation: What could Western fashion brands do to restore consumer confidence? (Could they turn the risk of a boycott into a buycott?)
Conclusion Summarise your paper and draw together the key issues/outcomes and making recommendations where appropriate.
References Single comprehensive list in alphabetical order of all references cited in the report. Follow good practice regarding referencing of Web-based sources, direct quotations; and so on. The reference style should follow the Harvard Referencing System.
Evidence Portfolio Your Evidence Portfolio i.e. list of references/artefacts including the Commentary. (500 words maximum. N.B. These are extra words so not included in the word count for your paper of 2,000 words.)
Assessment 2 Individual Paper: Marking Criteria
Introduction and Executive Summary (10%)
The Introduction should clearly explain the structure of the paper. The Executive Summary should be a synopsis of key points / conclusions in the paper.
Breadth and Depth of Discussion (40%)
Show that you have a detailed understanding of both the issues facing the garment workers AND the issues facing marketers / brand managers. That covers the Breadth aspect of this criterion. Depth is the degree to which you are able to link your discussion to relevant academic theory.
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