The Creative Mind: Richard Locke


Summary

A collaborative effort at Watson at Brown University involves diverse disciplines like development, anthropology, and public health to tackle complex issues. The speaker reflects on childhood encounters with farm workers protesting at supermarkets, sparking awareness about labor conditions. By persuading companies such as Nike and Apple to disclose supplier compliance data, they uncovered disparities in factory conditions. A buyer commitment approach was suggested to enhance labor conditions, treating the problem as a learning opportunity. Additionally, the speaker advocates for an entrepreneurship course to draw in varied students and offer international exposure.


Interdisciplinary Collaboration at Watson

People at Watson at Brown University collaborate across disciplines including development, anthropology, and public health to solve complex problems.

Childhood Experience with Farm Workers

The speaker recalls childhood experiences of interacting with farm workers picketing at supermarkets, leading to a realization about labor conditions.

Private Regulation in Companies

The speaker convinced companies like Nike and Apple to share data on supplier compliance with codes of conduct, leading to the identification of variations in factory conditions.

Alternative Model in Supplier Relationship

An alternative model based on buyer commitment to suppliers was proposed to improve labor conditions, viewing the issue as a pedagogical engagement.

Academic Courses and Goals

The speaker discusses academic courses on labor and development, proposing a course on entrepreneurship to attract diverse students and provide global experiences.

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