Abstract:

This paper explores relational work autonomy within Leicester’s garment sector, which is characterised by complex subcontracting and socio-economic pressures. While traditional autonomy models focus on individual task control, this research adopts a relational lens to examine how worker agency is co-constructed through social ties, power dynamics, institutional constraints, and rapidly changing business conditions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study triangulates quantitative data from worker surveys with qualitative insights from community conversations conducted with multiple stakeholders. Preliminary findings suggest that autonomy in this context is rarely individualistic; instead, it’s a fluid, locally embedded process of negotiation influenced by community networks and supply chain challenges. By hearing actors’ voices, from the factory floor to exhibitions, the research outputs contribute to (non-)standardised human resource frameworks and propose a more culturally and socially situated understanding of autonomy, offering vital implications for ethical labour practices and policy reform in a diverse cultural and ethnic context.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Sustainable and Responsible Business

Keywords: responsible business;interviews;focus groups

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Prof Samsul Alam