About the Program

Better Work is a joint program of the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation which aims to create lasting improvements in factory working conditions around the world. The Labor Lab at Tufts University has been conducting an impact evaluation of Better Work since 2010.

Working Papers

“An Impact Evaluation of Better Work from a Gender Perspective.” Dira Djaya, Drusilla Brown, Luisa Lupo. Better Work Discussion Paper No. 30. ILO, Geneva. April 2019

“Training, Productivity, and Working Conditions in Jordan’s Satellite Apparel Factories.” Arin Kerstein, Laura Babbitt, Drusilla Brown, Maria Ferraz, Ana Antolin, et al. April 2019. 

“Exploring the Relationship Between How Companies Treat Their Domestic Workforce and the Treatment of Their Supplier Factory Workers.” Kenneth Weitzman. Tufts University Thesis. May 2018.

“The Impact of Better Work: Firm Performance in Vietnam, Indonesia and Jordan.” Drusilla Brown, Rajeev Dehejia, and Raymond Robertson. February 2018.

“The Impact of Better Work.” Drusilla Brown, Rajeev Dehejia, Ann Rappaport, Mary Davis, Raymond Roberson, Laura Babbitt, Elyse Voegeli, et al. September 2016.

“Should I Stay or Should I Go? Analyzing the Decision of the Firm to Prevent Worker Return Migration.” Megan Miller. Tufts University Thesis. July 2016.

“Are Sweatshops Profit-Maximizing? Answer: No. Evidence from Better Work Vietnam.” Drusilla Brown, Rajeev Dehejia, Raymond Robertson, George Domat, Selven Veeraragoo. Better Work Discussion Paper No. 17. ILO, Geneva. March 2015.

“Occupational Safety and Health Conditions in Apparel Factories: Worker Perceptions and the Role of Management Systems.” Jeffrey Eisenbraun, Kelley Cohen and Drusilla Brown. Better Work Discussion Paper Series: No. 19 April 2015.

“Is There a Business Case Against Verbal Abuse? Incentive Structure, Verbal Abuse, Productivity and Profits in Garment Factories.” Emily L. Rourke. Better Work Discussion Paper No. 16. ILO, Geneva. September 2014.

“Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Does it Affect Firm Performance and Profits?” Xirong Lin, Laura Babbitt, Drusilla Brown. Better Work Discussion Paper No. 16. ILO, Geneva. November 2014.

“Do Factory Managers know what Workers Want? Manager-Worker Information Asymmetries and Pareto Optimal Working Conditions.” George Domat, Paris Adler, Rajeev Dehejia, Drusilla Brown and Raymond Robertson. Better Work Discussion Paper No. 10. ILO, Geneva. June 2013.

“Hope for Haiti? An Assessment of Haiti’s Apparel Manufacturing Industry.” Maureen Sarewitz. Masters capstone project. Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. 2013.

“Is There an Efficiency Case for International Labour Standards.” Drusilla Brown, Rajeev Dehejia and Raymond Robertson. Better Work Discussion Paper Series No. 12 October 2013.

“The Apparel Industry: Jordan’s Comparative Advantage in International Trade” George Domat, Benjamin Glass, Drusilla Brown. Tufts University. December 2012.

Publications

“Human Resource Management and Abuse in Global Supply Chains,” L. Babbitt, D. Brown, A. Antolin and E. Voegeli, in Handbook on Globalization and Labour Standards, Kim Elliott (ed), Edward Elgar Press, 2022.

“Why is the Business Case for Social Compliance in Global Value Chains Unpersuasive?  Rethinking Costs, Prices and Profits,” A. Antolin, L. Babbitt and D. Brown, International Labour Review, 160 (4), 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12223

“Do Factory Managers know what Workers Want? Manager-Worker Information Asymmetries and Pareto Optimal Working Conditions,” P. Adler, D. Brown, R. Dehejia, G. Domat and R. Robertson, Asia Development Review, 34 (1), 2017. https://doi.org/10.1162/ADEV_a_00081

“Pay Matters: The Piece Rate and Health in the Developing World.” Mary Davis. Annals of Global Health, 82 (5), 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh.2016.05.005

“Regulations, Monitoring and Working Conditions: Evidence from Better Factories Cambodia and Better Work Vietnam,” D. Brown, R. Dehejia and R. Robertson.  In Creative Labour Regulation, Indeterminacy and Protection in an Uncertain World, D. McCann, S. Lee, P. Belser, C. Fenwick, J. Howe and M. Luebker (eds.), Palgrave MacMillan and ILO, 2014.

“Energy Efficiency and Working Conditions in Vietnamese Apparel Factories.” Rebecca Drejet and Ann Rappaport.  Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. volume 38, number 2. pp 167-184. 2014.

Funders

International Labour Office
International Finance Corporation