Suppliers

So Marks & Spencer won, and thereby struck a blow against the type of media reporting which never lets the facts get in the way of a good story. World in Action could not resist taking a pot shot against the company with consistently the best reputation as a `good business'.

If they had stuck to narrower and more secure ground, the outcome would have been different and damaging. In future, the media will ask more focused questions. Why is child labour being used anywhere on the supply chain, if the company's values are so clearly against it? What is the worth of values if systems and procedures don't ensure they are always applied? How can the customer trust the company if the company itself does not know what is going on?

This libel case is merely a skirmish in an on-going battle, a short breathing space while companies get on with the long and difficult process of auditing and upgrading supply chain systems. Involving not-for-profit organisations in dialogue gets useful input and buys time. Community affairs managers can help make the introductions for their sourcing colleagues. But be sure to involve NGOs which are firmly rooted in developing country culture and understand the needs. And let's all avoid getting too self-congratulatory, given the prevalence of child labour at home.

Corporate Citizenship Briefing, issue no: 39 - April, 1998