The objective of the PhD it to provide research-based knowledge about how audits (can) contribute to improvement of labour standards in developing countries, which contributes to SDG 8, “decent work and economic growth”. The goal is that international buyers, audit providers, suppliers and other stakeholders utilise the new project knowledge to develop efficient auditing practices, which support improvement of OSH. This will not only be a contribution to creating a coordinated and coherent OSH policy in Bangladesh – it will also contribute to the research field of global sustainable production, where audits are key practices.
PhD research question:
“What are the opportunities and challenges related to different types of auditing practices, and how can auditing practices and worker involvement contribute to improved labour standards in global supply chains?”
This study will advance our knowledge in the field with an understanding of the various types of auditing practices used in developing countries.
The study is the first to identify, research and analyse the impact of different auditing practices in order to
1) understand why audits do not – and how they can potentially – improve labour standards in global supply chains,
2) understand workers’ perspectives on auditing practices and include them as essential parts of the change process, and
3) advance the typologies for which we study audits and give the various practices a language for further research to take place.