Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. {{NYSE|NKE}} (pronounced - 'Nigh-Key' in America but usually pronounced to rhyme with "Mike" in the UK) is a major manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment, marketing its products under its own brand as well as Air Jordan, Nike Golf, Team Starter (among others), and under brands from wholly-owned subsidiaries including Bauer, Cole Haan, Converse, and Hurley International.

Corporate responsibility

Diversity

Nike received a 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index released by the Human Rights Campaign in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Related Topics:
Corporate Equality Index - Human Rights Campaign

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Factory worker conditions

Nike has been criticised by some for using sweatshop labor in countries like Indonesia and Mexico. The company has been subject to much critical coverage of the often poor working conditions and exploitation of cheap overseas labor employed in the free trade zones where their goods are typically manufactured. Sources of this criticism include Naomi Klein's book No Logo and Michael Moore's documentaries. This criticism is reflected in the novel Jennifer Government, in which an amoral Nike executive is the story's villain.

Related Topics:
Sweatshop - Indonesia - Mexico - Exploitation - Free trade zone - Naomi Klein - No Logo - Michael Moore - Jennifer Government

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The forced labor camp like conditions in some overseas production plants led to several called-for boycotts (http://www.saigon.com/nike), together with coining the alternative name "swooshtika" for the company's swoosh logo (http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~ling215/NewWords/page3.html).

Related Topics:
Labor camp - Boycott - Swooshtika - Swoosh

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Nike was criticized about ads which referred to empowering women in the U.S. while engaging in practices in East Asian factories which some felt disempowered women (http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/Whattodoaboutnike.html).

Related Topics:
Empowering - East Asia

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