Toymaking in China, Mattel’s Way - David Barboza and Louise Story
From the New York Times, a look at how some foreign companies are responding to fears over the safety of products made in China:
The recent wave of recalls and warnings from China has ignited worldwide concern about the safety of Chinese products, potentially mucking up a global system built, in large part, on outsourced manufacturing. As a result, companies are trying urgently to figure out how to do business here, without risking their reputation, consumer trust, or customers’ lives.
Mattel may have some of the answers. In the 1990s, critics charged the company with running sweatshops in Asia. Now, independent analysts, and even watchdog groups, say Mattel may be the best role model for how to operate prudently in China. [Full text]
[Image: Chicken Dance Elmos undergo tests at a Mattel facility in Shenzhen, China. By Chang W. Lee, the New York Times]
