Increased demand from stakeholders for corporate social responsibility has placed an added pressure on large consumer product companies. Much of the obligation to ensure responsible practices falls on the supply chain and procurement areas of business, as they are tasked with managing and purchasing from vast supply networks. Many corporations are now in the process of developing responsible sourcing programs in order to ensure that their supplier codes of conduct are being implemented in their suppliers’ workplaces. Seven consumer product companies were interviewed about their responsible sourcing programs. The companies shared their process for initial risk assessment, assessing and commissioning a social audit, and escalation procedures if non-compliance behavior is found. The seven case studies present an array of approaches and best practices which can be used as a starting point in the development of responsible sourcing programs for other companies.
