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Nike Case Study

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Nike was established in 1972 by former University of Oregon track star Phil

Knight. Nike has $10 billion in annual revenues and sells its products in 140 countries.

Nike has been dogged for more than a decade by repeated accusations that its products

are made in sweatshops where workers, many of them children, slave away in hazardous

conditions for less than subsistence wages. Many reporters, TV shows, companies and

organizations have repeatedly exposed negative comments towards Nike. For example, a

“48 Hours” news report aired on October 17, 1996 regarding a Nike factory in Vietnam,

which was visited by reporter Roberta Baskin. The reporter discovered that Nike hired

millions of workers who are literate, disciplined, and desperate for jobs at wages lower

than minimum wage. Another example of the criticism against Nike came from a

newsletter published by Global Exchange. The newsletter uncovered that the majority of

Nike shoes were made in Indonesia and China, countries with governments that prohibit

independent unions and set the minimum wage at rock bottom.

Nike formulated a number of strategies and tactics to deal with the problems of

working conditions and pay in subcontractors. In early 1997, Nike also began to

commission independent organizations such as Ernst & Young to audit the factories of its

subcontractors. Finally, on May 12, 1998 Nike founder Phil Knight spelled out a series of

initiatives designed to improve working conditions for the 500,000 people that make

products for Nike through subcontractors. Even though Nike has admitted there have

been problems in some overseas factories and has attempted to do things to rectify the

problems, the company continues to be a target of protests and a symbol of dissent.

On May 12, 2001, in statement of the problems, Nike’s CEO

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