Evaluating the impact of SA8000 certification

The Social Accountability 8000 Standard (SA 8000), along with other types of certification standards and corporate codes of conduct, represents a new form of voluntary “self-governance” of working conditions in the private sector, initiated and implemented by companies, labor unions, and non-governmental activist groups cooperating together. There is an ongoing debate about whether this type of governance represents real and substantial progress or mere symbolism. Advocates promote SA 8000 and similar codes as a necessary tool to improve workplace conditions, especially in nations that lack robust enforcement of regulatory standards.