This is the third installment of an article series looking into Uniqlo’s CSR track record, and specifically into the reasons as to why they want to do business with Grameen. (Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.
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Summary of previous posts:
Uniqlo – Japan’s largest, most dynamic, and fastest growing clothing retail chain – is investing into Bangladesh, notably by striking up a joint venture with Grameen bank. The question is: Why would they do that? This series of posts is looking at Uniqlo’s global strategy, their CSR track record, and what we can learn from that about their motives for the joint venture.
In the previous post, I analysed, for Japan, Uniqlo’s innovative hiring strategy in their home market.
Today’s Focus: Uniqlo’s diversity & inclusion efforts
The reality in Japan:
Disabled workers have an extraordinarily difficult stance in the Japanese business world. Even if highly skilled and educated, a mere physical handicap – say, lack of legs after a car accident, and hence the need for a wheel chair – puts the vast majority of employers off. While there exists however a legal demand on employers to employ people with a handicap, the reality is though, that even highly skilled persons get hired only for minor tasks, and will be overseen when promotions for corporate careers are being given out (remember that seniority is still the substantial factor for promotion up the ranks in Asia) .
In this context, a mere look at statistics – as superficial as they in reality probably are – says more than what several paragraphs of text could describe.
In the next installment, I will have a closer look at Unqilo’s unique ‘Clothing Recycling Initiative’
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This is the third installment of an article series looking into Uniqlo’s CSR track record, and specifically into the reasons as to why they want to do business with Grameen. (Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.
