Extending the HR role in global value chains: the monitoring and control of HR practices in the South African automotive industry

Global value chain theory highlights imbalances in power and knowledge down supply chains, and the impact on labour standards and the value allocated to each tier. Yet, whilst global supplier networks may have become more unequal, they have also become more opaque, and the extent to which dominant parties monitor and control HR practices down their supply chains remains under-explored. This chapter investigates these issues within the quite highly regulated South African motor industry, revealing how offshore and transactional relations with suppliers are leading to diminished knowledge of, and interest, in second and lower tier suppliers’ HR practices, outside of adherence to basic labour standards. We extend global value chain theory through highlighting their dynamic and shifting nature. In doing so, we focus on HR practitioners’ attitudes and behaviours within supply chain networks and how their actions might mediate or amplify existing imbalances in resources and power. The chapter’s substantive contribution is to highlight tensions in the HR role, given the growing imperative to take responsibility both within and beyond the firm.