Apparel supply chain in the context of Brazil: social sustainability management and comparison analysis with global supply chains

Abstract

Purpose - This work aims to address the Brazilian apparel supply chain to understand its structure, and then the main characteristics of social dimension management.

Design/methodology/approach - A content analysis was carried out by N-Vivo software on sustainability reports of six major Brazilian companies and the leading sectoral entities. A framework to compare Brazilian and global apparel supply chains, as well as the social sustainability management in both environments has been developed.

Findings - Results indicate that the ABVTEX has an essential role in promoting sustainability in Brazilian Apparel Supply Chain. The main differences between global and local SC is the integration, being horizontal in global companies and mainly vertical in the Brazilian context. Regarding social dimension management, in the Brazilian context, social actions are mainly in the internal environment and local communities. In global companies, social actions are developed along the supply chain. Stakeholders are involved in both global and Brazilian supply chains and plays a vital role to increase the control to achieve social sustainability. Transparency is still a gap in Brazilian apparel supply chains and an essential way to mitigate social risk and improve working conditions.

Research limitations/implications – The present work address only the apparel sector and six large focal companies in one developing country. To expand the study to the different industries could help to understand better the SC network and social sustainability management in developing country context.

Practical implications – The understanding of the SC structure and the main characteristics of the social sustainability management in different context (developed and developing countries) may help managers and practitioners to make decisions to increase the social sustainability in the apparel sector. 

Originality/value – This study provides the comprehension of the SC structure in the Brazilian context and how social sustainability is managed. Also, a comparison between global and local companies is provided, identifying the similarities and dissimilarities in both realities.

Keywords - Brazilian Apparel supply Chain, Social Sustainability, Apparel in Developing Country

Paper type - Research paper.