Two recent disasters in the garment industry, the Tazreen Fashions fire (2012) and the Rana Plaza building collapse (2013), have caused outrage over the lack of social responsibility across global supply chains. In our new article, The Socially Responsible Supply Chain: An Imperative for Global Corporations, Robert Handfield and I discuss three core principles that are essential for ensuring socially responsible business practices and successfully managing the extended global supply chain: First, a program to audit both products and suppliers needs to be implemented; this program must go beyond direct relationships with tier-one suppliers. Second, visibility is important for those categories of supply that cannot be directly controlled; hereby, electronic and smart technologies promise new opportunities. Finally, collaboration is needed to successfully managing a socially responsible supply chain; this includes collaboration across the industry, with local partners, and with universities. It is time to become serious about socially responsible supply chain management.

Wieland, A., & Handfield, R.B. (2013). The Socially Responsible Supply Chain: An Imperative for Global Corporations. Supply Chain Management Review, 17 (5), 22-29