ACF5510 Integrated Accounting

Week 2: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Pre-Class Work
After you have worked through the case:
8 years after Rana Plaza – How socially responsible is your favourite fashion label?
(as provided on Moodle) please prepare answers to the following questions
1. Give a brief summary of the events leading to the Rana Plaza collapse on 24th April
2013.
2. Describe the global context of the fast fashion supply chain. Who are the actors and
what are their main interests?
3. Give an overview of Bangladesh’s social and economic development since its
independence in 1971. What role does the garment industry play?

It is strongly encouraged that you consider the above questions and try to answer them so
we can discuss the case in a productive and interactive way through our Zoom teaching
and learning environment.

In-Class Work
We will discuss the Rana Plaza case with reference to the above listed questions that are
part of your pre-seminar work.
Based on the case, also prepare answers to all of the following questions.
1. Do you see a responsibility of fashion retailers/labels which had their clothes
manufactured in the Rana Plaza building to compensate the affected families for
losses of family members and the injured workers for losing their ability to earn a
living? Discuss critically.
2. How did the Rana Plaza disaster affect the reputation and brand image of the
fashion retailers/labels and how did they react? If you had been in charge how
would you have reacted?
3. Should the fashion retailers/labels have pulled out of Bangladesh and other
developing countries where the health and safety of workers cannot be ensured?
Weigh up the rewards and risks of fashion retailers/labels when engaging as buyers
in developing countries.
4. Choose your favourite fashion label and research to what extent they were impacted
by the Rana Plaza disaster. How did they respond? How socially responsible is your
favourite fashion label?