Crouching Standards, Hidden Morals: A Choreographed National Rebuttal of Cosmopolitan Designs

Abstract

This case describes a sequence of events which started from allegations by non-government organizations of violations in the production unit of a global  brand, and moved to (acrimonious) denials by the supplier and multinational  buyers, failed negotiations, court cases, and judgments that crossed national boundaries. In the end, these events drew politicians and diplomats unwillingly into its vortex. The study shows how corporate actors, working from within a particular national space, can mobilize financial and emotional resources to align regulatory apparatuses of the state in their defence. The case also shows how global actors can be left in a no man’s land if they remain unaware of alliances being forged within national boundaries under a convenient smokescreen created by the confusion of roles and responsibilities to which they themselves may have contributed.