Knight’s Apparel Case

1. Who are the primary stakeholders of Knights Apparel?
The primary stakeholders of Knights Apparel are Knights Apparel, the 120 employees that work in the Alta Garcia factory, various customers, 3

2. For each stakeholder group, what are their major concerns? The major concerns for Knights Apparel include paying employees a fair wage that will, in return, allow for a better quality of life for the families of the factory employees. Additionally, a major concern for Knights Apparel is making a profit and “long-term survival”(Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p.5). The major concern for the employees of the Alta Garcia factory is maintaining stable and well paying job so that they can support their family and one day rise above the poverty level. The concern of the various customers of Knights Apparel is quality clothing that is not manufactured in a sweatshop, priced reasonably.

The major concern for the Workers Rights Consortium is that Knights Apparel stay true on their word for paying factory employees a fair wage and providing the workers with a fair and safe working environment. Duke, the other universities, Barnes & Noble, and Follett are all considered investors and will be grouped together as such. The major concern of the various investors of Knights Apparel is financial growth as “investors invest their money in companies for financial reasons.” and “Ideally, they want to see growth in their capital.”(Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p.4).

3. Describe the key roles and responsibilities of HR professionals at Knights Apparel. The key roles of the HR professionals at Knights Apparel are more than likely common roles. According to humanresources.about.com, common HR roles “…are the Human Resources Director, Human Resources Generalist, and Human Resources Assistant.”(Heathfield). The responsibilities of HR said professionals include being “A business partner…consultant…innovator…employee champion…change manager…promoter of organizational ethics and CSR.”(Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 21).

4. Do you think this factory will succeed and become a model for competitors, such as Nike and Adidas? Why, or why not? I believe this factory will be a successful model for its competitors because today’s society is very aware
of the poor working conditions and low pay of factory workers around the world. I believe that consumers will take notice to Knights Apparel’s good deeds and will support them for it.

Jackson, S., Schuler, R., Werner, S. (2012). Managing Human Resources (12th ed.). Heathfield, S. (n.d.). The Human Resource Department – Definition of the Human Resource Department. About.com. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_department.htm