An opportunity for practicing social responsibility is for company leaders to work with suppliers to improve physical and mental working conditions. Instead of refusing to deal with a supplier who operates a sweatshop, management might work with the supplier to improve plant working conditions. The justification for helping the supplier improve conditions is that the supplier’s employees are often in dire need of a paying job.

Almost any job is better than no job to a person facing extreme poverty or who is dependent on modest wages for food and shelter. Helping suppliers improve working conditions has been conceptualized as corporations being vehicles for positive social change—yet another way of demonstrating corporate social responsibility. Another form of helping to improve working conditions is to assist factory management to repair potential hazards such as inadequate escape routes in case of fire.