Millions of people worldwide are subjected to forced labour. Research from the University of Bath’s School of Management is educating academics, professionals and policymakers about how to spot modern slavery and, crucially, what to do about it.
Sharing expertise
Professor Andrew Crane, Director of the Centre for Business, Organisations and Society, is one of the world’s leading experts in business and modern slavery, having published his first paper in the field in 2013.
One of his recent projects focused on how non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can successfully get involved in tackling forced labour. He found that the most important elements for NGOs’ credibility were being viewed as experts in their specific industry or country, having a good reputation within that industry, and a deep connection to workers.
In 2023, Andrew brought together the largest ever gathering of modern slavery researchers and practitioners for the second annual Crossing Boundaries conference.
Examining public sector supply chains
Dr Johanne Grosvold uncovered substantial gaps in procurement teams’ knowledge during her project ‘Climate Change and Modern Slavery in Public Procurement’. The research was carried out with the Modern Slavery & Human Rights Policy & Evidence Centre, London Universities Purchasing Consortium and Unseen UK, as well as colleagues from the Universities of Sussex and the West of England. Her research highlighted blind spots in procurement processes.
Their key recommendations included the implementation of different forms of training for staff based on their role; stronger tendering requirements for public sector contracts; and the introduction of processes to actively manage known risks, such as in the electronics supply chain.
Supporting dignity for all
Professor Vivek Soundararajan leads Embed Dignity, a research initiative based at the School of Management that aims to improve working conditions across all facets of organisations. His research focuses on a range of areas, including the garment and software industries, and caste – a form of traditional social stratification in South Asia that has a pervasive socio-economic influence to this day.
Vivek and his Bath colleague Dr Pankhuri Agarwal investigated the aftermath of the 2020 Boohoo scandal, where large-scale exploitation was found in brand’s Leicester factories amid allegations of modern slavery. The team spent four months in the city during 2023 carrying out interviews and focus groups with affected people, finding that government and brand interventions were essentially no more than a sticking plaster.
The team demonstrated that more should be invested in community-based solutions, such as initiatives that bring together unions, workers and brands to address working conditions in factories. More attention is also needed on the wider social issues that render people vulnerable to labour exploitation in the first place.