ABSTRACT

Global supply chains (GSCs) have become a central feature of the modern economy. This chapter initially explores three bodies of literature that discuss elements of the employment relations (ER) consequences of GSCs: global value chain/global production network; the industrial relations approach to multinational corporations; and corporate social responsibility (CSR). All three perspectives place a significant stress on the governance structures adopted and their implications for ER systems without less of a stress on the significance for ER actors. This chapter then goes on to discuss how lessons from these approaches can be used to inform the changed nature of ER actors in supply chains.