Social Compliance Practices in Garment Manufacturing Industry of Faisalabad: Perspectives of Compliance Managers

Abstract

ocial compliance has emerged as a crucial part of responsible and sustainable garment production in today's global garment supply chains. This study explored social compliance issues in the garment manufacturing sector of Faisalabad, Pakistan from a compliance manager’s perspective. The study concentrated on three different aspects: (1) the implementation of social compliance standards in the factories, (2) social compliance evaluation tools and methods and (3) the difficulties faced during the implementation. Qualitative exploratory research design was used. Semi structured interviews were conducted from compliance managers of garment manufacturer/exporters from Faisalabad and data has been evaluated through thematic analysis. The results reveal that organizations use different mechanisms such as codes of conduct, monitoring, social audits and inspections, self-assessment, customer and third-party audits and corrective-action procedures. Although having formal compliance mechanisms, workplace violations do not necessarily get identified and resolved. The analysis showed the occurrence of child labour, forced labour, working hours, wages, discrimination, health & safety at the workplace, environment issues and freedom of association. It also analyzed the gender imbalance in the workforce. Moreover, the effectiveness of compliance practices is impacted by limited resources, insufficient training, production pressures, management commitment and institutional support. The research showed a need to move away from the premise of individual or single audits for social sustainability towards a more continual and integrated management process. Increasing regulatory enforcement, strengthening assessment systems, increasing worker participation, investing in training and capacity development, showing a commitment by management and promoting collaboration between stakeholders are key factors to improve compliance results. The study offers empirical findings on social compliance practices in Faisalabad and offers directions to promote responsible and sustainable garment manufacturing in Pakistan.