'Richard M. Locke's book, The Promise and Limits of Private Power: Promoting Labor Standards in a Global Economy, does a remarkable job in this hotly contested terrain of dissecting the daunting challenges of trying to improve global labour standards, while also outlining sustainable solutions that are supported by a range of key industry actors … Locke's analysis has very significant methodological implications for anyone seeking to understand labour standards in the global economy.' Gary Gereffi, Socio-Economic Review
1. The rise of private voluntary regulation in a global economy; 2. The promise and perils of private compliance programs; 3. Does private compliance improve labor standards? Lessons from Nike; 4. Capability building and its limitations; 5. Alternative approaches to capability building: a tale of two Nike suppliers; 6. Are we looking in the wrong places?: Labor standards and upstream business practices in global supply chains; 7. Complements or substitutes? Private power, public regulation, and the enforcement of labor standards in global supply chains; Conclusion: collaboration, compliance, and the construction of new institutions in a world of global supply chains.