How to decide - factors’ that influence decisions regarding supplier audits

Abstract

How to decide – factors that influence decision CSR and supplier code of conducts have become commonplace in the last decades and there has been a lot of research into why companies use codes of conduct as well as the practical outcomes of them but almost nothing on how companies decide on what suppliers to audit. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to see what factors influence how companies decide on what suppliers to audit? Through interviews with eight companies and three interviews taken from previously written student theses, all within retail, with representation from the food, coffee and clothing/textile industry nine different factors were found to influence how companies decide on suppliers to audit. It was also discovered that, even though the issue of CSR is becoming institutionalized, the industry the companies belong to affect the decision more than the issue of CSR and codes of conduct itself.