A Conversation with Sprott’s Jinsun Bae: Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains
Jinsun Bae joined Carleton’s Sprott School of Business at the height of the global pandemic in Fall 2020. As an assistant professor of International Business, it seems a fitting time to start the next chapter of her career in a new country. We recently sat down with Jinsun to discuss the journey that led her here.
Before joining Sprott, Jinsun was a postdoctoral associate with the “New Conversations Project: Sustainable labor practices in global supply chains” at the School of Industrial & Labor Relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She received her PhD in Business Economics and Management from the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark with her thesis focusing on corporate social responsibility perceptions and practices in Myanmar’s apparel industry.
What attracted you to a career in higher education?
I didn’t necessarily set out to become a professor when I first began my post secondary education. As a student, I had considerable personal and intellectual growth and I had great professors who were supportive and always encouraging me to do more than I thought I could do. My hope is that I can provide this support to future students that I teach. I am also attracted to the university because it is a place where diverse actors such as the business, government, and civil society can come together to share ideas and develop collaborations aimed to address grand societal challenges.
What current research are you working on?
Much attention has been paid to understanding whether companies are doing corporate social responsibility (CSR) but I’m more interested in how these companies are doing their CSR. Under that broad umbrella, I am interested in learning how global companies work with their suppliers to bring about changes in the labour conditions and labour practices in supply chains.
I’m currently working on three research projects. The first one is looking at how global companies enforce private labour standards to regulate working conditions in global supply chains. The second project focuses on first-tier suppliers and their roles in this private regulation. These are the suppliers that undertake the final stage of manufacturing and they are the ones that then ship the finished products to the global companies. The third project comes from my doctoral research on how the idea of CSR has been understood and practiced in Myanmar’s apparel industry. I’ve been following that industry since the country’s reform in 2011.
Why is the study of CSR in global companies important?
It is easy to think that global companies (in the likes of Apple and H&M) directly manage CSR in global supply chains. When they say they are tackling excessive overtime in factories making their products, we think that these companies are the ones implementing these changes. Often times, the responsibility to implement and manage these changes rests on their suppliers who own and manage these factories and are not usually visible to us. This outsourcing of responsibility has complicated the task of verifying whether the company’s promise of better working conditions is being met.
Meanwhile, these suppliers are under what they call “paradoxical” demands because global buyers want them to produce quickly and cheaply, while making more investment in improving safety and labour practices. Those complexities are what I’m trying to demonstrate through my research and teaching.
What impact are you hoping your research will have in this area?
I want to bring out and understand the complexities inherent in the company’s pursuit of economic, social and environmental goals. From this research, I hope to provide recommendations and practical insights for companies and other relevant actors that they find realistic, well-contextualized and actionable. The research should fill the knowledge gaps experienced by people on the ground and shed more light on the actors of the global economy that are not readily visible but are nonetheless very important.
What is your experience in conducting research in other countries?
When I was in Myanmar, before actually collecting any data I spent a month at the Myanmar Garment Manufacturer’s Association. I offered to do an internship with them and took on a research assignment. This helped me build a relationship with those at the association who then facilitated my research stay in the country and access to some of the member factories.
A funny anecdote: Sometimes, I met informants before an interview to introduce myself and build rapport. Normally, such a meeting was over a cup of coffee. One of my key informants was a factory manager, and he liked getting a massage because he spent many hours supervising people and walking around in the factory. So, I had my “rapport building” sessions with him by getting a massage.
Are you planning on bringing your CSR research into your teaching?
I’m actually in the process of developing a new course for undergraduate students, tentatively titled ‘Responsible Business in a Globalized Economy’. By taking this course, students will understand the main debates and key concepts around CSR in the context of global supply chains. We will also explore how companies are trying to regulate working conditions using their private standards and discuss the achievements and shortcomings of such private labour regulations.
What do you enjoy most about working at the Sprott School of Business?
What makes my experience deeply enjoyable is that it’s a very supportive and collegial environment. I feel comfortable asking questions or reaching out for clarification which has been helpful since I began working at Sprott during the pandemic. I also like how the School takes a more inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to business. I sometimes feel like I don’t do traditional mainstream international business research. At Sprott, I feel very much at home and that people appreciate and encourage the kind of research that I do. I feel lucky to be here.
What is your favourite part about being a professor?
I like being an entrepreneur of ideas. I can undertake research that I think has important contributions and social implications that have not been picked up yet by government or business. I can be critical, holistic and long term in pursuing my topic of interest. I also like being able to bring people together through research and teaching.
Outside of research/teaching, what do you like to do for fun?
I love cooking! That’s my main stress reliever. I appreciate any type of food and from all regions. I also enjoy hiking, listening to podcasts and doing yoga. Walking and biking around the city has helped me explore my new home and I’m looking forward to discovering new areas of Ottawa.