Regulating the Corporation from Within and Without: Corporate Governance and Workers’ Interests

This dissertation critically explores how the increased legal regulation and governance of corporations can be used to help improve the interests of workers in global supply chains. Chapter one outlines the introduction and provides background information. Chapter two is the literature review. Chapter three examines the expansion of fiduciary duties and changes to corporate governance, including Benefit Corporations, and how expanded fiduciary duties can be used to increase the interests1 of workers. Chapter four contains a case study of the Rana Plaza disaster to demonstrate how governance models can be used to help increase working conditions in Bangladesh and other parts of the Global South. Chapter five is a case study of the Hudson’s Bay Company and three different versions of its code of conduct. Chapter six concludes.