Internal Communication in Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Factories: Illustration of the Internal Communication System and Its Connection to Labor Unrest

By drawing up a model of the internal communication system of Bangladeshi ready-made garment factories, Helene Blumer identifies the existence and intensity of its communication flows. She furthermore discloses a connection from this communication system to labor unrest. The absence of a functioning formal channel within the factory, the lack of effective labor representation and the rare physical presence of the factory owners confirm the existence of a communication barrier. As symptom of a flawed communication system, this barrier confirms a connection to labor unrest and the management’s unawareness of its emergence, which would thwart any modes to predict and prevent work disruptions.